[Senate Report 119-8]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 119-8
_______________________________________________________________________
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 EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
March 31, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
------
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
59-010 WASHINGTON : 2025
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
RAND PAUL, Kentucky, Chairman
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
RICK SCOTT, Florida RICHARD BLUMENTAL, Connecticut
JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
BERNIE MORENO, Ohio ANDY KIM, New Jersey
JONI ERNST, Iowa RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
ASHLEY MOODY, Florida ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan
William E. Henderson III, Staff Director
David M. Weinberg, Minority Staff Director
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
------
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
DURING THE 118TH CONGRESS
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\1\ RICK SCOTT, Florida
JON OSSOFF, Georgia JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
LAPHONZA BUTLER, California\2\
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SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE 118TH CONGRESS
PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut, Chair
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire RICK SCOTT, Florida
ALEX PADILLA, California\1\ JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
JON OSSOFF, Georgia ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
LAPHONZA BUTLER, California\2\
------
EMERGING THREATS AND SPENDING OVERSIGHT
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire, Chair
KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
JON OSSOFF, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND BORDER MANAGEMENT
KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona, Chair
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
ALEX PADILLA, California\1\ RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut MITT ROMNEY, Utah
LAPHONZA BUTLER, California\2\
\1\Senator Alex Padilla served on the Committee February 3, 2021 to
October 17, 2023.
\2\Senator Laphonza Butler joined the Committee October 17, 2023 and
was assigned Subcommittees on October 24, 2023.
CONTENTS
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Page
I. Highlights of Activities.................................... 1
A. Investigation into the Attempted Assassination of
President Donald J. Trump................................ 3
B. Suppoting America's Firefighters, Fire Prevention and
Response................................................. 4
C. Combatting Terrorism and Violent Threats.............. 6
D. Border Security....................................... 8
E. Securing Our Supply Chains............................ 11
F. Artificial Intelligence............................... 13
G. Strengthening Cybersecurity........................... 17
H. Biosecurity........................................... 19
I. Member Stock Trading.................................. 20
J. Improving Travel Screening Processes.................. 21
K. Improving Government Transparency and Addressing
Conflicts of Interest.................................... 22
L. Improving Government Efficiency and Saving Taxpayer
Dollars.................................................. 24
M. Bolstering the Nation's Response to Disasters and
Emergencies.............................................. 29
N. Supporting the Federal Workforce...................... 31
II. Committee Jurisdiction...................................... 32
III. Bills and Resolutions Referred and Considered............... 35
IV. Hearings.................................................... 35
V. Reports, Prints, and GAO Reports............................ 46
VI. Official Communications..................................... 65
VII. Legislative Actions......................................... 65
A. Measures Enacted Into Law............................. 65
B. Postal Naming Bills................................... 73
VIII.Activities of the Subcommittees............................. 79
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI)
I. Historical Background....................................... 79
A. Subcommittee Jurisdiction............................. 79
B. Subcommittee Investigations........................... 81
II. Subcommittee Hearings During the 118th Congress............. 88
III. Legislation Activities During the 118th Congress............ 98
IV. Reports..................................................... 99
V. GAO Reports................................................. 115
Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight (ETSO)
I. Historical Background....................................... 116
A. Subcommittee Jurisdiction............................. 116
B. Subcommittee Chairs................................... 116
C. 117th Congress........................................ 116
D. 118th Congress........................................ 116
II. Subcommittee Hearings During the 118th Congress............. 117
III. GAO Reports................................................. 121
Government Operations and Border Management (GOVOPS)
I. Historical Background....................................... 122
A. Jurisdiction.......................................... 122
B. Subcommittee Chairs................................... 122
C. 117th Congress........................................ 122
D. 118th Congress........................................ 122
II. Subcommittee Hearings During the 118th Congress............. 123
III. Legislation................................................. 124
IV. GAO Reports................................................. 124
119th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 119-8
=======================================================================
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND
SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
DURING THE 118TH CONGRESS
_______
March 31, 2025.--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 118th
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.
U.S. Senator Gary C. Peters was Chairman of the Committee
during the 118th Congress; Senator Rand Paul was the Ranking
Member.
Major activities of the Committee during the 118th Congress
included an investigation into the July 13 assassination
attempt of President Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania,
as well as oversight and legislation involving fire safety
grants; combatting terrorism; border security; prescription
drugs; government efficiency and transparency; artificial
intelligence; cybersecurity; disaster preparedness; biosecurity
and the federal workforce. 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 website, http://hsgac.senate.gov/.
I. HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES
During the 118th Congress, Chairman Gary C. Peters and
Ranking Member Rand Paul led the Committee to collaboratively
address longstanding challenges to the nation's security, as
well as strengthen the effectiveness of the federal government.
Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee authored
and enacted 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 passed bipartisan legislation to
protect critical infrastructure from persistent and complex
cyber-attacks, harden our defenses against the threat of
domestic and foreign terrorism, 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 Paul and other members of the House and the
Senate to author and enact bipartisan legislation to increase
transparency in government, ensure effective use of taxpayer
dollars, and support the federal workforce in their mission to
serve Americans across the country.
Finally, Chairman Peters utilized the Committee's role as
the Senate's chief oversight body to issue seven comprehensive
investigative reports. This included a bipartisan report
authored with Ranking Member Paul and U.S. Senators Richard
Blumenthal and Ron Johnson, the Chairman and Ranking Member of
the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, on the United
State Secret Service's failures that contributed to an
assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump in
Butler, Pennsylvania, a report on the intelligence failures by
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI) that contributed to the January 6th, 2021
attack on the U.S. Capitol, a report on FBI's and DHS's failure
to effectively track and report data on the domestic terrorism
threat, a report on ballooning watchlisting and travel
screening practices related to travelers, a report on drug
shortages, and a report on hedge funds' use of artificial
intelligence.
During the 118th Congress, the Committee held 37 hearings
to identify, discuss, and assess bipartisan solutions to
address national security threats and improve government
operations. The Committee also advanced 186 bills and 68 post
office naming bills to the Senate floor. Chairman Peters
authored and introduced 72 of those bills. In total, the
Committee helped enact 96 standalone laws, including 11
authored by Chairman Peters, and helped secure several critical
provisions as a part of larger government funding bills or
legislative packages. The Committee also helped confirm 22 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, Congress can come together to solve
significant problems, protect our national security and ensure
the federal government is operating efficiently and
effectively.
A. INVESTIGATION INTO THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
On July 13, 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks bought 50 rounds of
ammunition on his way to Butler, Pennsylvania, drove to
President Donald J. Trump's campaign rally at the Butler Farm
Show grounds, and climbed onto the roof of the American Glass
Research (AGR) building less than 200 yards away from where the
President was speaking. At 6:11 pm, he fired eight rounds from
an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, killing one person and injuring
three others including the former President.\1\ That day, he
was able to fly a drone 200 yards from the site, use a
rangefinder capable of gauging the distance to the former
President less than an hour before he began speaking, and bring
two explosive devices within proximity of the site of the
rally.\2\ The United States Secret Service's (USSS) planning,
communications, intelligence sharing, and related security
failures in advance of and during July 13 directly contributed
to Crooks' ability to carry out the assassination attempt and
kill and injure people in Butler, PA that day.
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\1\Interim Joint Bipartisan Staff Report, Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee & Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations, Examination of U.S. Secret Service Planning and
Security Failures Related to the July 13, 2024 Assassination Attempt,
(September 25, 2024).
\2\Ibid.
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On July 15, 2024, Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Paul
announced their investigation into the assassination attempt on
President Trump and called for a briefing and public hearing
within 15 days.\3\ On July 24 and 25, 2024, Chairmen Peters and
Blumenthal and Ranking Members Paul and Johnson sent ten
letters requesting documents and information to the USSS, FBI,
DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Beaver County District
Attorney, Butler County District Attorney, Butler County
Sheriff, Butler Township Police Department, Pennsylvania State
Police (PSP), and Clairton Sportsmen's Club as well as a letter
requesting voluntary transcribed interviews with USSS
individuals responsible for planning and security on July
13.\4\ Then, on July 25, 2024, Acting USSS Director Rowe and
FBI National Security Branch Executive Assistant Director Wells
provided a closed-door unclassified briefing for HSGAC and
Judiciary Committee Members.\5\
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\3\Ibid.
\4\Ibid.
\5\Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, and
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Briefing with
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and
Senate Committee on the Judiciary (July 25, 2024).
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On July 30, 2024, Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., the Acting Director
of the USSS, and Paul Abbate, the FBI Deputy Director,
testified in a joint hearing before the Senate Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Judiciary
Committee. Acting Director Rowe testified that the attempted
assassination ``was a failure on multiple levels.''\6\ He
further testified before the committees that he had since
initiated several reforms to address clear deficiencies in how
USSS provides security for its protectees.\7\ During the July
30 hearing, Acting Director Rowe acknowledged USSS
responsibility for protecting former President Trump.\8\ In a
series of transcribed interviews conducted by bipartisan staff
for HSGAC and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, key
USSS personnel responsible for planning, coordinating,
communicating, and securing the Butler, PA rally on July 13,
declined to acknowledge individual areas of responsibility for
planning or security as having contributed to the failure to
prevent the shooting that day, even when as an agency, the USSS
acknowledged ultimate responsibility for the failure to prevent
the former president of the United States from being shot.\9\
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\6\Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
and Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Opening Statement of U.S. Secret
Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe, Hearing on Examination of the
Security Failures Leading to the Assassination Attempt on Former
President Trump, 118th Cong. (July 30, 2024).
\7\Ibid.
\8\Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
and Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Testimony of U.S. Secret Service
Acting Director Ronald Rowe, Hearing on Examination of the Security
Failures Leading to the Assassination Attempt on Former President
Trump, 118th Cong. (July 30, 2024).
\9\ U.S. Secret Service, Transcribed Interviews with Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Senate
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/
hearings/investigation-of-u-s-secret-service-planning-and-security-
failures-related-to-the-july-13-2024-assassination-attempt/.
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On August 13, 2024, the Committee began a series of
transcribed interviews with USSS personnel. To date, Committee
staff have examined over 2,800 pages of documents provided by
USSS and conducted 12 transcribed interviews with USSS
personnel responsible for the planning and security in Butler,
PA on July 13, 2024.
On September 25, 2024, the Committee released an interim
report on the assassination attempt investigation.\10\ The
interim report detailed USSS failures in planning,
communications, security, and allocation of resources for the
July 13, 2024 Butler rally were foreseeable, preventable, and
directly related to the events resulting in the assassination
attempt that day. Additionally, it discussed that siloed
communications and coordination problems between federal,
state, and local law enforcement officials were a contributing
factor to the failures at the July 13 Butler rally. The interim
report also made key recommendations to address these failures,
including designating a single individual responsible for
approving all security plans, requiring USSS to identify
clearly defined roles and responsibilities for USSS personnel,
improving communications between USSS personnel and state and
local law enforcement, and that USSS protection plans should be
determined based on the threat to the protectee, not their
position or title.\11\
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\10\ Interim Joint Bipartisan Staff Report, Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee & Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations, Examination of U.S. Secret Service Planning and
Security Failures Related to the July 13, 2024 Assassination Attempt,
(Sept. 25, 2024).
\11\Ibid.
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B. SUPPORTING AMERICA'S FIREFIGHTERS, FIRE
PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
During the 118th Congress, more than 160 firefighters
across the United States died while on-duty,\12\ wildfires
burned more than 8 million acres of land,\13\ and more than
4,200 home fire fatalities were reported.\14\ In response,
Chairman Peters led efforts to ensure local fire departments
have the necessary resources to continue protecting their
communities and responding effectively to emergencies. Under
his leadership, the Committee held a hearing on the increasing
wildfire threat and passed bipartisan legislation to support
firefighters.\15\
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\12\U.S. Fire Administration, Firefighter Fatalities in the United
States (2023-2024). https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities,
(accessed Feb. 19, 2025).
\13\NOAA National Centers For Environmental Information (NCEI),
Annual 2024 Wildfires Report. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/
monitoring/monthly-report/fire/202413, (accessed Feb. 19, 2025).
\14\U.S. Fire Administration, Home Fire Fatalities in the News.
https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/civilian-fatalities?startDate=2023-01-
03&endDate=2024-12-31, (accessed Feb. 19, 2025).
\15\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on A Nation on Fire: Responding to the Increasing Wildfire
Threat, 118th Cong. (March 14, 2024).
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Chairman Peters led the introduction of the Fire Grants and
Safety Act of 2023 along with U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Tom
Carper, and Lisa Murkowski. The bipartisan legislation, which
was signed into law on July 9, 2024, reauthorized the Federal
Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire
and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, the Assistance to
Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, and the United States Fire
Administration (USFA). These programs are used by local fire
departments to address staffing needs, purchase equipment,
develop fire training and education programs, and improve
emergency medical services. The law ensures that local fire
departments have the necessary resources to continue protecting
their communities and responding effectively to
emergencies.\16\
The SAFER program provides grants from FEMA to career,
volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the
purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help
communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour
staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-
related hazards.\17\ The AFG program provides grants from FEMA
to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of
equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS
needs.\18\ USFA's mission is to provide leadership,
coordination, and support for the nation's fire prevention and
control, fire training and education, and emergency medical
services activities, and to prepare first responders and health
care leaders to react to hazard and terrorism emergencies of
all kinds.\19\ One of USFA's key objectives is to significantly
reduce the nation's loss of life from fire, while also
achieving a reduction in property loss and nonfatal injury due
to fire. They work to achieve this through data collection,
research, trainings, and public education.\20\
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\16\S. 559/S. 4882/S. 870 (118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-
67; Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters, Collins, Carper &
Murkowski Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Federal Support for Local
Fire Departments Signed into Law, (July 9, 2024).
\17\Federal Emergency Management Agency, Staffing For Adequate Fire
and Emergency Response (SAFER). https://www.fema.gov/grants/
preparedness/firefighters/safer, (accessed Feb. 19, 2025).
\18\Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistance to Firefighters
Grants https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/firefighters/
assistance-grants, (accessed Feb. 19, 2025).
\19\U.S. Fire Administration, About the U.S. Fire Administration.
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/about, (accessed Feb. 19, 2025).
\20\Ibid.
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Chairman Peters, along with U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, also
introduced the bipartisan Fire Management Assistance Grants for
Tribal Governments Act to require FEMA to accept Fire
Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) requests directly from
Tribal governments that are affected by a fire. Currently, FEMA
can accept Emergency and Major Disaster Declaration requests
from Tribal governments, but the agency is not authorized to
accept FMAG requests directly from Tribes. This limitation
impedes Tribes' capacity to access federal resources for
wildfire management directly and undermines Tribal independence
by forcing them to work through state governments rather than
having the option to interact directly with federal authorities
for this specific type of assistance.\21\ The legislation
passed the Committee on July 31, 2024, and passed the Senate on
December 17, 2024.
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\21\S. 4654 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-237. Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Mike Rounds: Peters and Rounds Introduce
Bipartisan Bill to Authorize FEMA to Accept Tribal Government Requests
for Fire Management Assistance Grants, (July 18, 2024).
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C. COMBATTING TERRORISM AND VIOLENT THREATS
Terrorism and extremist violence continue to be persistent
and evolving threats to our homeland security. According to the
Department of Homeland Security, threats posed by domestic and
foreign terrorism remain high.\22\ Domestic extremists killed
at least 17 people in the U.S. in seven separate instances in
2023.\23\ Additionally, several attacks carried out by domestic
violent extremists took place in 2024.\24\
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\22\Department Of Homeland Security, DHS' 2025 Homeland Threat
Assessment Indicates the Threat of Domestic and Foreign Terrorism in
the Homeland Remains High. https://www.dhs.gov/archive/news/2024/10/02/
dhs-2025-homeland-threat-assessment-indicates-threat-domestic-and-
foreign-terrorism, (accessed Feb. 20, 2025).
\23\Anti-Defamation League, Murder and Extremism in the United
States in 2023. https://www.adl.org/resources/report/murder-and-
extremism-united-states-2023, (accessed Feb. 20, 2025).
\24\Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Threat Assessment
2025, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/24_0930_ia_24-
320-ia-publication-2025-hta-final-30sep24-508.pdf, (accessed Feb. 20,
2025).
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During the 118th Congress, Chairman Peters led the
Committee's oversight and legislative work to ensure the
federal government is better prepared to fight terrorism and
extremist violence threats. Chairman Peters introduced the
Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health
Security Act of 2023 to strengthen the Countering Weapons of
Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office within in DHS.\25\ The CWMD
Office's mission is to defend against threats from weapons of
mass destruction--which include chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear weapons. Chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear weapons have the potential to cause
everything from mass casualties and incapacitation to
agricultural destruction, and other serious disruptions to our
economic and national security. In particular, biological
agents, including anthrax and ricin, have been used in attacks
on Americans. The bipartisan legislation also codified
responsibilities for the Office of Health Security, including
oversight of all medical and workplace safety missions across
DHS.\26\ The Committee passed the bill in June 2023. Despite
bipartisan support for the legislation, the authorization for
the CWMD Office expired on December 21, 2023, due to some
Republican opposition.\27\
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\25\S. 1798 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-124. Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and John Cornyn: Peters & Cornyntroduce Bill to
Protect Americans from Weapons of Mass Destruction, (Dec. 13, 2023).
\26\Ibid.
\27\Ellen M. Gilmer, Turmoil in Congress Imperils Mass Threat
Detection Team's Future, Bloomberg Government, (Oct. 10, 2023).
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Chairman Peters also introduced a bipartisan bill, along
with U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Carper, and James
Lankford, to help secure chemical facilities against terrorist
attacks.\28\ The senators' Protecting and Securing Chemical
Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act to extend the vital anti-
terrorism the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards
(CFATS) program, which was created after the September 11, 2001
terrorist attacks and the Oklahoma City bombing, ensures that
facilities holding high-risk chemicals have security measures
in place to reduce the risk of chemicals being stolen or
weaponized by terrorists. Although the CFATS program has been
extended with bipartisan support by Congress four times--
including most recently in 2020 through efforts led by Peters,
Lankford and Carper,\29\ the authorization for the program
expired in July 2023 due to some Republican opposition.\30\
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\28\S. 2499/S. 2178 (118th Cong.). Press Release, Senators Gary
Peters, Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Carper and James Lankford: Peters,
Capito, Carper & Lankford Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Secure
Chemical Facilities Against Terrorist Attacks, (June 23, 2025).
\29\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford and Tom
Carper: Peters, Lankford & Carper Bipartisan Bill to Extend Critical
Counterterrorism Program Signed Into Law, (July 24, 2020).
\30\Justin Doubleday, CISA Faces `Significant Concerns' Over Losing
Chemical Security Staff During Reauthorization Stalemate, Federal News
Network, (Aug. 30, 2023).
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Chairman Peters also introduced and passed into law
bipartisan legislation to improve security for federal
employees and members of the public who visit federal
buildings.\31\ More than 9,000 federal facilities hosting 1.4
million employees and countless visitors are protected by
Federal Protective Service (FPS) within DHS.\32\ Federal
facilities face a wide range of threats, including active
shooters, cyber-attacks, hostile surveillance, and improvised
explosive devices. The law requires federal agencies to respond
to the recommendations on security measures issued within 90
days. The law also requires DHS to develop a method to monitor
the responses to FPS security assessments and take reasonable
actions to ensure agency responses, holding agencies
accountable to adopting sound, defensible security
decisions.\33\
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\31\S. 3613 (118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-157.
\32\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rick Scott: Senate
Passes Peters and Scott Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Federal Building
Security, (March 26, 2024).
\33\Ibid.
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In addition to taking steps to better protect against
violent threats at federal buildings, Chairman Peters also
passed bipartisan legislation out of the Senate to better
protect federal buildings from unauthorized access.\34\ The
bill would require the federal government to assess whether
property located near federally leased space could provide
opportunities for espionage attempts, cyber-attacks, or other
unauthorized access and ensure that there is government-wide
guidance for agencies to ensure spaces located near high-
security leased federal properties do not pose a threat to the
safety and security of sensitive materials.\35\
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\34\S. 1868 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-82.
\35\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rick Scott, Committee
Passes Peters and Scott Bipartisan Bill to Help Secure Federal
Facilities from Unauthorized Access, (June 14, 2023).
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JANUARY 6TH INTELLIGENCE FAILURES REPORT
On January 6, 2021, thousands of extremists attempting to
obstruct the Joint Session of Congress to certify the 2020
Presidential Election committed a violent and unprecedented
attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, threatening the security
of the Vice President, Members of Congress, and staff. During
this attack, rioters threatened and assaulted law enforcement
officers, broke into the Capitol and Senate chamber, vandalized
and stole property, and ransacked offices.\36\
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\36\Ibid.
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Building on the work Chairman Peters led in the 117th
Congress to investigate the initial security, planning, and
response failures related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the
U.S. Capitol, Peters continued to investigate and released a
majority staff report on the intelligence failures in the lead
up to the attack.\37\ The report found that the FBI and the DHS
Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) received numerous
tips and were aware of significant online posts threatening
violence at the Capitol. Despite the significant volume of open
source intelligence indicating the day could turn violent, the
report found that those agencies failed to fully and accurately
assess the severity of the threat, and failed to communicate
adequate warnings to law enforcement partners.\38\
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\37\Majority Staff Report, Senate Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs, Planned In Plain Sight: A Review Of The
Intelligence Failures In Advance Of January 6th, 2021, (June 27, 2023).
\38\Ibid.
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The Chairman's investigation found that in lieu of formal
intelligence products, FBI communicated intelligence to its
partners informally while downplaying the severity of the
threat. Additionally, this investigation found that part of the
reason FBI failed to take more action to warn its federal
partners and the public was because it failed to seriously
consider the possibility that threatened actions would actually
be carried out, and it dismissed each individual threat as not
credible in isolation but failed to fully consider the totality
of threats and violent rhetoric associated with such a
contentious event.\39\
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\39\Ibid.
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D. BORDER SECURITY
The federal government must have the personnel, tools and
resources necessary to secure our nation's borders. These
efforts are critical to our national and economic security. In
the 118th Congress, the Committee held hearings, conducted
oversight and advanced legislation related to border security.
Chairman Peters led many of these legislative efforts,
including bipartisan bills to improve security at the Northern
Border, hire additional border security personnel, address the
flow of fentanyl across the borders, and prevent human
trafficking.
Although much of the nation's attention is appropriately
focused on the challenges at the Southern Border, the Northern
Border faces unique security challenges that must also be
addressed. For example, two of our nation's busiest border
crossings are in Michigan along the Northern Border, and border
states rely on safe and efficient travel and trade through
ports of entry to maintain their status as hubs of
international commerce. As a Senator representing Michigan,
Chairman Peters has long focused on addressing the needs of
Northern Border states.
In July 2023, Chairman Peters introduced bipartisan
legislation to the Committee that would require the DHS to
establish a Northern Border Mission Center (originally named
the Northern Border Coordination Center) to serve as a training
location for personnel, act as a testing ground for border
security technology, and to support counter-unmanned aircraft
systems along the Northern Border.\40\ The Center is charged
with supporting DHS's ongoing work to address the evolving
threats and challenges the Department faces, including the bi-
directional flow of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, and other
contraband, as well as human smuggling and trafficking. The
Center is to be collocated with an existing U.S. Border Patrol
sector headquarters, an Air and Marine Operations Branch, and a
U.S. Coast Guard air station, and other existing DHS activities
at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.\41\ In March
2024, Chairman Peters secured $3 million to establish and
operate the Northern Border Mission Center.\42\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\40\S. 2291 (118th Cong.). Included as a provision in H.R. 2670
(118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-31.
\41\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Provision to Support
Northern Border Security Operations to be Signed Into Law, (Dec. 18,
2024).
\42\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Secures Funding to
Establish Center to Coordinate Northern Border Security, (March 23,
2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illegal drugs smuggled and sold in the United States,
including fentanyl, remain one of the deadliest threats to
communities in the United States.\43\ The vast majority of
fentanyl in the United States is smuggled through ports of
entry along the Southern Border. According to data from Customs
and Border Protection (CBP), nearly 90 percent of fentanyl
seizures happen at ports of entry.\44\ In fiscal year 2024,
CBP's use of non-intrusive inspection systems led to the
seizure of over 100,000 pounds of narcotics.\45\ Chairman
Peters has emphasized the need for DHS to prioritize
investments in technologies to combat fentanyl smuggling,
including non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment. In May
2023, Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley reintroduced
the Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act, bipartisan legislation to
require DHS to efficiently use existing resources and expand
available tools to stop the flow narcotics into the
country.\46\ Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator John Cornyn also
introduced the bipartisan Non-Intrusive Inspection Expansion
Act to improve vehicle and cargo screening at ports of
entry.\47\ Non-intrusive inspection systems have enabled
frontline CBP Officers to detect and seize narcotics, as well
as other undeclared and prohibited goods, like certain pork
products, that could cost American companies revenue and jobs
and pose risks to American agriculture.\48\ Congress provided
CBP with $520 million for non-intrusive inspection systems in
2019 and has provided increased resources since then--including
$87 million as a part of the government funding legislation
that was signed into law in 2022. The Non-Intrusive Inspection
Expansion Act would ensure CBP is utilizing the tools Congress
has provided to increase scanning rates at ports of entry to at
least 40 percent of passenger vehicles and at least 90 percent
of commercial vehicles entering the United States at land ports
of entry by the end of fiscal year 2026, an achievable
benchmark.\49\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\43\Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Threat Assessment
2025, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/24_0930_ia_24-
320-ia-publication-2025-hta-final-30sep24-508.pdf, (accessed Feb. 20,
2025).
\44\Customs and Border Protection, Drug Seizure Statistics, https:/
/www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics, (Accessed Feb. 21,
2025).
\45\Customs and Border Protection, FY 2023 CBP Travel Sheet,
https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/
cbp_fy_2023_travel_fact_sheet_06.2024.pdf (accessed Feb. 21, 2025).
\46\S. 1464 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-104. Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Josh Hawley: Peters and Hawley Reintroduce
Bipartisan Bill to Bolster DHS Efforts to Detect and Seize Illicit
Drugs, (May 4, 2023).
\47\S. 1822 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-105.
\48\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and John Cornyn: Peters and
Cornyn Bipartisan Bill to Increase Screening of Vehicles and Cargo at
Ports of Entry Advances in the Senate, (June 14, 2025).
\49\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CBP also faces ongoing shortages of Officers to effectively
staff ports of entry. To help address this issue, the Committee
advanced in April 2023 Chairman Peters' bipartisan legislation
to require CBP to hire additional personnel to meet staffing
needs. The Securing America's Ports of Entry Act would fully
staff America's airports, seaports and land ports of entry by
requiring CBP to hire no less than 600 additional officers a
year until the agency's staffing needs are met.\50\ In addition
to hiring more CBP officers, the bill also authorizes the
annual hiring of mission support staff and technicians to
perform non-law enforcement functions in support of CBP. These
professionals will allow CBP officers to focus their efforts on
law enforcement priorities, such as preventing drug
trafficking, while supporting lawful international commerce
through the nation's ports of entry.\51\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\50\S. 1252 (118th Cong). S. Rept. 118-290. Press Release, Senators
Gary Peters and John Cornyn: Peters and Cornyn Bipartisan Bill Address
Staffing Shortages at Ports of Entry Advances in the Senate, (July 27,
2023).
\51\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To further support CBP Officers, the Committee advanced
Chairman Peters' and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley's bipartisan
legislation CBP Officers can receive the retirement benefits
they were promised when starting their service.\52\ The U.S.
Customs and Border Protection Officer Retirement Technical
Corrections Act corrects a mistake where CBP incorrectly
informed newly hired CBP Officers that they would be eligible
for proportional annuity, which means they would not have to
retire at a certain age or reach 20 years of service to qualify
for an enhanced retirement benefit. CBP realized their error
more than ten years after these Officers had started their
service and rescinded these benefits. CBP will now require at
least 1,352 Officers to meet additional requirements to receive
the benefits they were initially promised when starting the job
more than a decade ago. This has significantly impacted CBP
Officers' ability to properly plan for their futures and ensure
they can retire comfortably with the benefits they expected.
The bill would direct CBP to identify eligible individuals and
notify them of the correction. Those impacted would then be
eligible for a correction that would align their retirement
benefits with the coverage they were promised. The legislation
also includes a retroactive annuity adjustment for eligible
individuals who retire before the date of enactment of this
bill and grants the Department of Homeland Security the
authority to waive maximum entry age requirements for eligible
officers.\53\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\52\S. 311 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-101.
\53\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Josh Hawley: Peters &
Hawley Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Correct Retirement Error for
Customs and Border Protection Officers, (Feb. 9, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To help further secure U.S. land and maritime borders,
address homeland security threats, and establish regional
operations to tackle ongoing homeland security challenges like
drug smuggling and trafficking, Chairman Peters passed a bill
into law to reauthorize the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) Joint Task Forces (JTF) authority.\54\ Congress codified
DHS Joint Task Forces as part of its yearly National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) in fiscal year 2017. DHS currently
uses this authority through its Joint Task Force-East, which
works to strengthen coordination of U.S. government agencies as
well as international partners to combat transnational criminal
organizations and address maritime migration. The DHS Joint
Task Force Reauthorization Act would extend the authority of
the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish and operate
Joint Task Forces for two more years.\55\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\54\S. 4698. (118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-103.
\55\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Bill to Extend
Department of Homeland Security Joint Task Forces Authority Signed into
Law, (Oct. 1, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee also took legislative actions to address the
scourge of human trafficking. Thousands of men, women, and
children are trafficked in the United States every year.\56\
According to DHS, traffickers might use violence, manipulation,
or false promises of jobs or romantic relationships to lure
victims into trafficking situations. Based on calls to the
National Human Trafficking Hotline, the Polaris Project found
that in 2021 there were at least 16,554 sex trafficking victims
and survivors in the United States.\57\ To enhance the
Department of Homeland Security's ability to combat human
trafficking, Chairman Peters passed bipartisan legislation into
law, the IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act to make permanent and
expand the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to
Combat Trafficking Trauma (IMPACTT) Program within Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI) that provides outreach and
training to investigators, forensic interviewers, victim
assistance specialists, task force officers, and other partners
who have been exposed to trauma while working with victims of
human trafficking.\58\ The law also requires HSI to provide
training, through the program, to these employees on available
resources to help cope with burnout, compassion fatigue, and
trauma. It also makes permanent and expands the HSI Victim
Assistance Program that provides guidance on victim assistance,
including training and technical assistance, and monitors
compliance with federal crime victim statutes.\59\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\56\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford, and John
Cornyn: Peters, Lankford, & Cornyn Bipartisan Legislation to Increase
Support for Victims of Human Trafficking Signed into Law, (Oct. 7,
2024).
\57\Polaris Project, Polaris Analysis of 2021 Data From the
National Human Trafficking Hotline. polaris-analysis-of-2021-data-from-
the-national-human-trafficking-hotline.pdf, (accessed Feb 21, 2025).
\58\S. 670 (118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-96.
\59\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford, and John
Cornyn: Peters, Lankford, & Cornyn Bipartisan Legislation to Increase
Support for Victims of Human Trafficking Signed into Law, (Oct. 7,
2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E. SECURING OUR SUPPLY CHAINS
During the 118th Congress, the Committee took steps to
address vulnerabilities in key supply chains, specifically to
reduce America's dependence on foreign suppliers for critical
minerals and pharmaceuticals.
Shortages of critical medications continue to rise,
including drugs used in hospital emergency rooms and to treat
cancer, prescription medications, and even common over-the-
counter treatments like children's cold and flu medicine. The
number of active drug shortages in the U.S. reached a peak of
295 at the end of 2022.\60\ Drug shortages are caused by a
number of factors, including economic drivers, insufficient
supply chain visibility, and a continued U.S. overreliance on
both foreign and geographically concentrated suppliers for
medications and their raw materials. These shortages have
cascading effects on patient care, causing delays in treatment,
increasing the risk of medication errors, and requiring the use
of less effective alternative treatments. Hospitals have also
experienced increased costs, medication waste, and limited
staffing capacity to address and remedy shortages.\61\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\60\Majority Staff Report, Senate Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs, Short Supply: The Health and National
Security Risks of Drug Shortages, (March 22, 2023).
\61\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters investigated and released a report
detailing the significant health and national security risks of
these ongoing drug shortages.\62\ Peters' report found that
drug shortages, as well as a lack of transparency into our
pharmaceutical supply chains, present an ongoing national
security risk and have made it harder for health care
professionals to treat patients. The findings build on a 2019
report Peters released that identified serious health and
national security risks created by drug shortages and an
overdependence on foreign pharmaceutical supply chains.\63\
Chairman Peters' work on this issue has identified that our
nation's reliance on foreign suppliers--mostly in China and
India--for the raw materials needed to make medications has
only continued to grow. A 2021 DOD Inspector General report
found that the U.S. military also relies on foreign sources,
including adversaries like China, to purchase drugs, but DOD
failed to conduct a formal risk assessment. Following the
release of the report, Chairman Peters convened a full
committee hearing to discuss its findings and recommendations,
the impact that drug shortages have had on Americans, and
additional actions that lawmakers can take to solve this
problem.\64\ To help address this overreliance, Chairman Peters
and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst introduced the bipartisan
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Risk Assessment Act to require the
Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), and the Department of Homeland Security to
conduct a comprehensive assessment of pharmaceutical supply
chain vulnerabilities and related national security risks, as
well as develop plans to reduce our nation's reliance on
foreign nations for critical drugs.\65\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\62\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Report Finds
Continued Shortages of Medications Present Significant Health and
National Security Risk, (March 22, 2023).
\63\Minority Staff Report, Senate Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs, A Price Too High: Cost, Supply, and Security
Threats to Affordable Prescription Drugs, (Dec. 6, 2019).
\64\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Drug Shortage Health and National Security Risks: Underlying
Causes and Needed Reforms, 118th Cong. (March 22, 2023) (S. Hrg. 118-
56).
\65\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Joni Ernst: Peters and
Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Further Examine National Security
Risks Posed by Reliance on High-Risk Foreign Suppliers for Critical
Medications, (July 16, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee also
worked to address our nation's overreliance on foreign
suppliers of critical minerals. Critical minerals and rare
earth metals are used to manufacture electric vehicle
batteries, military equipment, and other technology that is
vital to American economic competitiveness and homeland
security. China remains the largest source for more than half
of the critical minerals on the U.S. Geological Survey's 2022
list that the United States imports, such as lithium and
cobalt.\66\ Chairman Peters, along with U.S. Senators Mitt
Romney and James Lankford, introduced and passed in the Senate
the bipartisan Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force
Act to address this overreliance by creating a presidential
task force with representatives from federal agencies who must
consult with state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments
to determine how to address national security risks associated
with America's critical mineral supply chains.\67\ The task
force would also identify new domestic opportunities for
mining, processing, refinement, reuse, and recycling of
critical minerals.\68\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\66\U.S. Geological Survey Press Release, U.S. Geological Survey
Releases 2022 List of Critical Minerals, (Feb. 22, 2022), https://
www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-
2022-list-critical-minerals, (accessed Feb. 24. 2025).
\67\S. 1871 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-93. Press Release, Senators
Gary Peters, Mitt Romney and James Lankford: Senate Passes Peters,
Romney, and Lankford Bipartisan Bill to Reduce Dependence on China and
Other Adversarial Nations for Critical Minerals, (Sept. 19, 2024).
\68\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee also sought to improve the effectiveness of
the Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC) and increase
its oversight responsibilities to better address supply chain
threats from foreign adversaries. Foreign adversaries often use
private sector companies to hide or obfuscate their connections
with the products, allowing potential security vulnerabilities
to enter protected supply chains.\69\ Although the FASC is
charged with evaluating risks in our information and
communications technology supply chains and making
recommendations to block the use of technologies or products
that pose a threat to our national security, since its creation
in 2018, the FASC has not issued a single order despite a
multitude of ongoing supply chain risks.\70\ Chairman Peters
and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds introduced the bipartisan Federal
Acquisition Security Council Improvement Act to improve the
FASC by transferring leadership responsibility from the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) to the Office of the National
Cyber Director (ONCD), which is better positioned to lead
efforts to address national security threats in our information
and communications technology supply chain.\71\ The bill also
expands FASC membership to include the State Department and the
ONCD, which was created after the FASC was established. The
legislation also creates a process for Congress to issue
designated orders that direct the FASC to investigate sources
of concerns that Congress deems a potential threat to national
security. Once the FASC investigates and if they find evidence
of security concerns with an entity, they would be authorized
to issue orders requiring a product or company to be banned
from purchase by the federal government.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\69\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Mike Rounds: Peters and
Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Better Address Supply Chain Threats
from Foreign Adversaries, (Nov. 19, 2024).
\70\Ibid.
\71\S. 5310 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-296.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in government,
industry, and civil society, has led to the rapid growth of
advanced technology in virtually every sector, transforming
millions of Americans lives across our country. From the
development of lifesaving drugs and advanced manufacturing to
helping businesses and governments better serve the public, to
self-driving vehicles that will improve mobility and make our
roads safer, AI certainly holds great promise. This rapidly
evolving technology also presents potential risks that could
impact our safety, our privacy, and our economic and national
security. Under the leadership of Chairman Peters during the
118th Congress, the Committee held hearings, led
investigations, and passed legislation to ensure that
government is harnessing the benefits and opportunities of AI,
while examining the risks and challenges posed by the
technology and instituting necessary safeguards.
In 2023, Chairman Peters convened three hearings to examine
the procurement and use of artificial intelligence in federal
government and what safeguards are needed to ensure the
advancement and adoption of AI is done safely and responsibly.
In March, Peters convened a hearing to investigate the
transformative potential of AI, examine how AI affects our
nation's competitiveness on a global stage, and discuss ways to
ensure that these technologies are implemented in a way that
respects civil rights and civil liberties.\72\ Witnesses
highlighted the opportunities associated with AI, while
expressing their concerns over the sometimes limited
transparency of their developers' algorithms, and how lack of
oversight could lead to algorithmic bias, unforeseen workplace
impacts, and public distrust. The discussion covered existing
laws, necessary reforms, and the importance of oversight to
ensure the responsible use of this promising technology.
Finally, with foreign adversaries like the Chinese government
prioritizing investments in these technologies, Peters stressed
the need for Congress to ensure the federal government has the
talent, training, and technology required to maintain the
United States' global leadership on AI.\73\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\72\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Artificial Intelligence: Risks and Opportunities, 118th
Cong. (March 8, 2023) (S. Hrg. 118-25).
\73\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters convened a follow-up hearing in May
focusing on the federal government's use of artificial
intelligence.\74\ The Committee sought to examine how AI can be
used by federal agencies to improve efficiency while making
sure that agencies are deploying these systems responsibly. At
this hearing, Peters discussed the need to increase
transparency around the government's use of AI to mitigate the
risks associated with these technologies. He also raised
concerns about how to ensure personal and sensitive information
stored by AI applications is secure and used appropriately to
avoid any harms to Americans' privacy. Peters highlighted the
need to ensure the federal workforce has the skills and
training to ensure AI systems are benefitting all Americans.
The witnesses explored how agencies can ensure the
effectiveness and accuracy of AI algorithms before deploying
them, and whether agencies should be required to follow certain
standards as the federal government continues to acquire
additional tools that utilize AI.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\74\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Artificial Intelligence in Government, 118th Cong. (May 16,
2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In June, Chairman Peters released a report examining how
hedge funds use artificial intelligence to inform trading
decisions and the potential impacts it could have on market
stability.\75\ The report found the advancement of AI is
outpacing the work of regulators, who have only recently begun
to examine how AI is used in their respective industries and
how current regulations may apply to the use of AI. The report
also found a lack of baseline standards to ensure these systems
do not produce unintended risks. As more hedge funds use AI for
increasingly diverse and more advanced purposes, the report
found that associated risks within the financial services
sector could increase without sufficient baseline requirements
and safeguards. The investigation identifies needed reforms to
mitigate current gaps in protocols and to update existing
requirements to ensure hedge funds are safely adopting evolving
technologies. While the report's focus is on the use of AI by
hedge funds, the risks identified in this report represent
concerns applicable across the financial services sector.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\75\Majority Staff Report, Senate Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs, AI in the Real World: Hedge Funds' Use of
Artificial Intelligence in Trading, (June 2024); Press Release, Senator
Gary Peters: Peters Report Finds Hedge Funds Use of AI in Trading
Decisions Without Sufficient Guardrails Increases Risks to Investors
and Financial Markets, (June 14, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following the release of this Committee report, Chairman
Peters convened a third hearing on artificial intelligence in
September to examine how government will purchase AI
technologies, and how the standards and guardrails government
sets for these tools will shape their development and use
across all industries.\76\ During the hearing, Peters discussed
the importance of using AI models to provide more efficient
services to Americans and automate routine tasks to enhance,
but not replace, the federal workforce. The hearing explored
what the current AI procurement processes looks like, what
should be prioritized when evaluating possible systems, and
what agencies must do to ensure taxpayer money is spent
effectively on these technologies. Peters emphasized the need
for continuing oversight into the deployment of AI systems and
to evaluate these systems throughout the procurement process to
ensure the data used for testing is secure and protected.
Peters also highlighted the power of federal acquisition and
procurement processes to shape transparent and responsible
standards that could be reflected in the private sector.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\76\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Governing AI Through Acquisition and Procurement, 118th
Cong. (September 14, 2023) (S. Hrg. 118-135).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In response to information learned during these hearings,
Chairman Peters introduced relevant legislation to guide the
federal government's adoption of AI technologies. Chairman
Peters and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis introduced the bipartisan
Promoting Responsible Evaluation and Procurement to Advance
Readiness for Enterprise-wide Deployment for Artificial
Intelligence Act (PREPARED For AI Act) to establish guardrails
to ensure the federal government can harness the potential of
AI systems, while safeguarding against potential risks and
harms.\77\ The legislation requires agencies to assess and
address the risks of their AI uses prior to buying and
deploying the technology. Additionally, the bill ensures the
federal government reaps the benefits of this technology
through the creation of pilot programs to test more flexible,
competitive purchasing practices. Chairman Peters and U.S.
Senators Mike Braun and James Lankford also introduced the
bipartisan the Transparent Automated Governance (TAG) Act to
require the Director of Office of Management and Budget to
issue guidance to agencies to implement transparency practices
relating to the use of artificial intelligence and other
automated systems.\78\ It would also require agencies to notify
individuals when a critical decision is made about them using
an augmented decision process. Finally, the guidance would
instruct agencies to establish human review appeals processes
for individuals who receive an adverse critical decision made
using an augmented critical decision process. Chairman Peters
and Senator Braun also introduced the bipartisan AI Leadership
Training Act, which would provide guidance to federal leaders
when making decisions regarding artificial intelligence
technology, and ensure the risks and rewards are properly
weighed to best benefit agency missions and American
communities.\79\ Organizations like the National Security
Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) and the National
Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) have
recommended additional AI training for federal workforce to
ensure the appropriate use of these tools. This legislation,
which was passed by the Committee, would require the Director
of the Office of Personnel Management to provide and regularly
update an AI training program for federal government
supervisors and management officials. The training aims to help
federal leaders understand the capabilities, risks, and ethical
implications associated with AI, so they can better determine
whether an AI capability is appropriate to meet their mission
requirements. To modernize federal agency data management and
ensure proper data protections are in place, Chairman Peters
and U.S. Senator Todd Young introduced the bipartisan
Modernizing Data Practices to Improve Government Act.\80\ This
legislation, which was passed by the Committee in December
2024, would extend the Chief Data Officers Council and require
the Council to examine the federal government's data management
practices to improve data quality, access and transparency--and
ultimately to enable better services and potential cost
savings. Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz introduced
the bipartisan Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT)
Procurement Act to streamline the federal procurement process
and enable more businesses to participate in federal
contracting, which will offer greater competition and better
deals for the federal government and taxpayers.\81\ This bill--
passed by Committee in December 2024--would strengthen training
for the federal acquisition workforce to ensure they are best
prepared to manage the purchase of rapidly advancing
technologies, such as artificial intelligence systems. The bill
would also require updates to federal procurement rules to
eliminate obsolete, overly burdensome or restrictive
requirements, simplify the bidding process for contractors, and
expand use of procurement methods that allow agencies to
quickly collaborate with the private sector on outcome-based
solutions. Lastly, Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator John Cornyn
authored the AI Leadership to Enable Accountable Deployment (AI
LEAD) Act to create a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
position at every federal agency to develop the agency's
efforts and policies regarding AI.\82\ The bill also
establishes a Chief AI Officers Council that each of these
officials would sit on to ensure there is coordination across
the federal government on the use of AI. In addition, the
legislation would create an AI board of senior officials at
each agency to coordinate and integrate AI activities and
policy across the agency. For guidance, the bill instructs
every federal agency to develop an AI strategy and requires the
head of every agency to be accountable for ensuring the
responsible research, development, acquisition, and use of AI.
The Committee advanced this legislation to the Senate calendar
in December 2024.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\77\S. 4495 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-291.
\78\S. 1865 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-89.
\79\S. 1564 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-124.
\80\S. 5109 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-324.
\81\S. 4066 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-276.
\82\S. 2293 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-216.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The hearings held to inform the American people about
artificial intelligence and its use in the federal government,
the Committee's report showing the risks that unchecked AI
usage has on the financial markets, along with the legislation
above, served to further the Committee's goals to ensure an
efficient, safe, and effective adoption of these emerging
technologies by the federal government.
G. STRENGTHENING CYBERSECURITY
Cyber-attacks remain a significant risk to the country's
national and economic security. Adversarial nation-states
continue to use cyber tactics to access and steal sensitive
information from American networks, including critical
infrastructure, for broader espionage purposes to advance their
military, diplomatic, and economic goals.\83\ In 2023, data
breaches increased by 72% from 2021, which included more than
3,200 data breaches with more than 353 million victims.\84\
Notably, an on-going Chinese hacking campaign dubbed Salt
Typhoon provided hackers with the communications of senior U.S.
government officials and prominent political figures after at
least eight U.S. telecommunications firms were infiltrated.\85\
Additionally, a mid-2024 global software outage halted daily
life, business, and government for millions when a faulty
software update issued by American cybersecurity company
CrowdStrike to Windows computers running its software caused
more than 8.5 million systems to crash and be unable to
restart.\86\ These cyber-attacks and mass outages highlight the
ongoing need to ensure the federal government is prepared to
respond to and mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\83\Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Threat Assessment
2025, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/24_0930_ia_24-
320-ia-publication-2025-hta-final-30sep24-508.pdf, (accessed Feb. 20,
2025).
\84\Identity Theft Resource Center, 2023 Annual Data Breach Report,
https://www.idtheftcenter.org/publication/2023-data-breach-report,
(accessed Feb. 24, 2025).
\85\Aamer Madhani, White House Says At Least 8 Us Telecom Firms,
Dozens of Nations Impacted by China Hacking Campaign, Associated Press
(Dec. 4, 2024). https://apnews.com/article/china-hack-us-telecoms-salt-
typhoon-88cabc592dae2fa870772c5ce4ace5ea.
\86\David Weston, Helping Our Customers Through the Crowdstrike
Outage, Official Microsoft Blog (Jul. 20, 2024). https://
blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/07/20/helping-our-customers-through-the-
crowdstrike-outage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given these concerns, the Chairman Peters convened a series
of hearings and briefings with senior federal officials and
cybersecurity experts to inform the members about the state of
cybersecurity. In March 2023, Chairman Peters convened a
hearing to examine cybersecurity threats facing the health care
sector and how the federal government and health care providers
are working to prevent breaches.\87\ In June 2024, Chairman
Peters convened a hearing to examine the efforts of the
Administration to harmonize overlapping federal cybersecurity
standards and challenges U.S. businesses face to meet these
standards.\88\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\87\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on In Need of a Checkup: Examining the Cybersecurity Risks to
the Healthcare Sector, 118th Cong. (March 16, 2023) (S. Hrg. 118-55).
\88\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Streamlining the Federal Cybersecurity Regulatory Process:
The Path to Harmonization, 118th Cong. (June 5, 2024) (S. Hrg. 118-
353).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
During the 118th Congress, in order to address these
ongoing cybersecurity threats, Chairman Peters introduced and
advanced legislation supporting cybersecurity reforms and
modernization. Chairman Peters led the introduction of
bicameral, bipartisan legislation to reform federal
cybersecurity laws to ensure our nation has necessary tools and
resources to protect federal information technology
systems.\89\ The Federal Information Security Modernization Act
of 2023 would improve coordination across the federal
government to help civilian federal agencies and contractors
protect their networks against cybersecurity threats. The
legislation overhauls and updates the Federal Information
Security Modernization Act of 2014 to support more effective
cybersecurity practices throughout the federal government and
improve coordination between the Office of Management and
Budget, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
(CISA), the Office of the National Cyber Director, and other
federal agencies and contractors when addressing online
threats.\90\ To help secure open-source software, the Committee
advanced Chairman Peters' legislation directing CISA to help
ensure that open-source software is used safely and securely by
the federal government, critical infrastructure, and
others.\91\ Chairman Peters also joined U.S. Senator Josh
Hawley to introduce legislation, which was later advanced by
the Committee, requiring the CISA to develop a workforce
strategy dedicated to rural hospitals and to provide resources
to help secure their vulnerable networks.\92\ Chairman Peters
and U.S. Senator John Cornyn introduced legislation to help
protect commercial satellite owners and operators from
disruptive cyber-attacks.\93\ Commercial satellites provide
data and information used for navigation, agriculture,
technology development, scientific research, and more. Critical
infrastructure systems involved in operating networks that
control pipelines, water, and electric utilities are also
heavily reliant on commercial satellites.\94\ Chairman Peters
also led bipartisan legislation to strengthen American
cybersecurity partnerships with international partners and
allies to ensure the United States can more quickly provide
assistance to our allies.\95\ To raise awareness of
cybersecurity risks, Chairman Peters also introduced
legislation to develop a year-round campaign that informs the
public about best practices on how to prevent cyber-attacks and
mitigate cybersecurity risks.\96\ Chairman Peters and U.S.
Senator James Lankford also led bipartisan legislation to
establish a comprehensive framework for streamlining
cybersecurity regulations across the federal government.\97\
Increasingly complex and overlapping federal cybersecurity
regulations have created duplicative or contradictory
requirements for businesses, and Peters' legislation would help
standardize those regulations by establishing an interagency
Harmonization Committee at the Office of the National Cyber
Director. The bill requires the committee, headed by ONCD,
develop a framework for the alignment of cybersecurity and
information security regulations, rules, examinations, and
other compliance requirements.\98\ To better prepare federal
employees to address serious cybersecurity threats the
Committee advanced Chairman Peters' Industrial Control Systems
Cybersecurity Competition Act to improve the President's Cup
Cybersecurity Competition, a national cyber competition that
identifies and helps train the best cybersecurity talent in the
federal workforce, by expanding the competition to include
operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems
(ICS).\99\ OT systems and ICS systems manage, monitor, and
control industrial operations and are typically overshadowed in
the cybersecurity world even though they form the backbone of
most major industries, utilities, and critical infrastructure
networks.\100\ Finally, the Committee sought to modernize
federal agencies and ensure they have the proper data
protections and governance in place to adopt and deploy
artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. To
achieve this, the Committee advanced Chairman Peters'
Modernizing Data Practices to Improve Government Act to extend
the Chief Data Officers Council and require the Council to
examine the federal government's data management practices to
improve data quality, access and transparency.\101\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\89\S. 5109 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-324.
\90\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Bicameral, Bipartisan
Leaders Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Federal Cybersecurity,
(July 12, 2023).
\91\S. 917 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-32.
\92\S. 1560 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-170.
\93\S. 1425 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-92.
\94\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and John Cornyn: Peters &
Cornyn Bipartisan Bill to Protect Commercial Satellites from
Cybersecurity Threats Advances in Senate, (May 17, 2023).
\95\S. 1862 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-268.
\96\S. 1835 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-171.
\97\S. 4630 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-254.
\98\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and James Lankford:
Committee Passes Peters and Lankford Bipartisan Bill to Harmonize
Federal Cybersecurity Regulations, (Aug. 1, 2024).
\99\S. 3635 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-234.
\100\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Mike Braun: Peters and
Braun Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Government's Cybersecurity
Capabilities Passes Committee, (Jan. 31. 2024).
\101\S. 5109 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-324.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
H. BIOSECURITY
During the 118th Congress, Chairman Peters and Ranking
Member Paul announced a bipartisan investigation of the
national security threats posed by high-risk biological
research and technology in the U.S. and abroad.\102\ As part of
their joint investigation, the Committee convened a hearing to
examine the evidence related to the origins of the COVID-19
pandemic, which was one of the worst public health crises the
U.S. has ever faced.\103\ More than one million Americans and
millions more around the world died from the virus. The COVID-
19 pandemic was a once in a generation event that both
threatened public health and created unprecedented challenges
to our economic and homeland security. During the hearing, the
Committee heard testimony about those challenges and learned
key lessons about what actions are needed to better protect
Americans from a future potential biological incident, whether
it is a naturally occurring outbreak, or potential outbreaks
that could arise from mistakes or malicious intent.\104\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\102\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rand Paul, Peters and
Paul Announce Bipartisan Biodefense and Life Science Research
Investigation, (March 20, 2024).
\103\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Origins of COVID-19: An Examination of Available Evidence,
118th Cong. (June 18, 2024) (S. Hrg. 118-355).
\104\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee held a subsequent hearing convened by
Chairman Peters in July 2024 to examine federal policies
related to high-risk life science research.\105\ The hearing
highlighted the unique challenge of balancing research that
supports key medical developments with public safety and
national security. During the hearing, Peters and the witnesses
emphasized the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in
scientific innovation and setting global biosafety standards.
They also stressed the importance of having a federal oversight
system that is flexible yet effective in mitigating potential
risks associated with high-risk life sciences research.\106\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\105\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Risky Research: Oversight of U.S. Taxpayer Funded High-Risk
Virus Research, 118th Cong. (July 11, 2024).
\106\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Video:3Peters Convenes
Hearing to Examine Federal Policies Related to High-Risk Life Science
Research, (July 12, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters also led efforts to combat the ability of
foreign adversaries to steal American genetic data and personal
health information. Biotechnology is a rapidly expanding field
with many beneficial applications, including promoting human
health, improving agricultural production, and spurring
industrial innovation. However, biological data, such as DNA
sequences, can be exploited for military purposes, used to
invade privacy, and violate human rights. The U.S. intelligence
community has cited the Chinese Communist Party's concerted
efforts to acquire human genetic and related data through
biotechnology companies such as the BGI Group (BGI) as a
serious threat to U.S. national security.\107\ Other
adversarial governments also recognize the strategic value of
biotechnology to gain military and economic advantage. The U.S.
has taken some steps to mitigate these threats, including by
adding BGI subsidiaries to the U.S. Department of Commerce
Entity List--which identifies foreign entities that may pose a
security threat to the United States. However, the Chinese
government and other adversaries often seek ways to get around
these restrictions, and a more comprehensive strategic approach
to addressing these threats is needed. To mitigate the threat
posed by foreign access to this data, Chairman Peters
introduced the Safeguarding American Genetic Data Act of
2023.\108\ This legislation would create a comprehensive
process to identify companies with business practices that pose
a threat to U.S. national security and ban companies that are
identified as national security risks from receiving taxpayer
dollars through federal government contracts.\109\ In early
2024, Chairman Peters and colleagues sent a letter to the
Departments of Treasury, Defense, and Commerce encouraging them
to investigate Chinese global biotech company WuXi AppTec and
its subsidiaries, citing WuXi AppTec's alarming ties to the
Chinese military and the Chinese Communist Party.\110\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\107\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Introduces Bill to
Protect American Genetic Data from Foreign Adversaries, (Dec. 8, 2023).
\108\S. 3411 (118th Cong.).
\109\Ibid.
\110\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters, Bill Hagerty,
Representatives Mike Gallagher, Raja Krishnamoorthi: Peters and
Colleagues Call on Administration to Investigate Chinese Biotech
Company Wuxi AppTec, (February 12, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. MEMBER STOCK TRADING
In an historic first, Chairman Peters led the Committee in
passing legislation with bipartisan support to ban by Members
of Congress, their spouses, and their dependents from holding,
buying, or selling stocks.\111\ This marked the first time that
a Senate Committee considered and passed legislation barring
stock trading by Members of Congress. Peters led bipartisan
negotiations to craft the legislation, which was built off of
the Ending Trading and Holdings In Congressional Stocks
(ETHICS) Act introduced by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and
approved by the Committee at a July 24, 2024 business meeting.
The legislation would immediately ban Members of Congress from
buying stocks and other covered investments and prohibit
members from selling stocks 90 days after enactment. The
bipartisan legislation also requires Members of Congress, the
President and the Vice President to divest from all covered
investments, starting in 2027. The legislation also includes
enhanced transparency requirements and increases penalties for
violations under the STOCK Act.\112\ The legislation is
intended to hold bad actors accountable, address the appearance
of possible conflicts of interest, and give the public
confidence that federal elected officials are working in the
peoples' best interests, rather than their own personal
financial interests.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\111\S. 1171 (118th Cong.). S. Rept. 118-309. Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters, Jeff Merkley, Josh Hawley, Jon Ossoff: Peters,
Merkley, Hawley and Ossoff Announce Historic Bipartisan Agreement to
Advance Legislation to Ban Member Stock Trading, (June 26, 2023).
\112\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
J. IMPROVING TRAVEL SCREENING PROCESSES
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Congress swiftly took
action to better protect the nation against the threat of
terrorist attacks. The federal government subsequently
established one comprehensive ``terrorist watchlist,'' which
federal agencies continue to use to identify known and
suspected terrorists. In addition to the terrorist watchlist,
Congress and the executive branch expanded traveler screening
at airports and other ports of entry to combat threats of
terrorism and other security risks. A portion of the screening
is driven by the terrorist watchlist, but the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection
screen travelers for other reasons as well. While protecting
national security and the safety of travelers remains at key
homeland security priority, these practices, which repeatedly
ensnare travelers who may pose no danger to national security,
may divert critical counterterrorism resources away from
identifying other serious security threats.\113\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\113\Majority Staff Report, Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, Mislabeled as a Threat: How the
Terrorist Watchlist and Government Screening Practices Impact
Americans, (Dec. 19, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In December 2023, Chairman Peters released a report that
revealed that well-intentioned screening practices at airports
and other ports of entry have ballooned over time.\114\
According to the report's findings, there are at least 22
different mechanisms that might lead travelers to receive
additional screening at airports and other ports of entry or be
denied the ability to travel--not all security related--and yet
the U.S. government does not look comprehensively across all of
these policies to assess their combined effectiveness or
whether they impact certain individuals or communities more
than others. Members of the Arab, Muslim, and South Asian
American communities report that they are unfairly targeted by
these screening practices; however, federal agencies do not
effectively assess whether discrimination occurs in these
processes. These practices are intended to protect the U.S.
from terrorists and other security threats, but these practices
have expanded into a layered and duplicative screening system
that is difficult for the government to explain, and for
American citizens to understand why they have been flagged for
secondary screening or how they can seek real redress.\115\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\114\Ibid.
\115\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following his report, Chairman Peters called on the
Inspectors General of the Departments of Justice, Homeland
Security, Defense, State, and Treasury, and the Intelligence
Community to conduct a coordinated review of the full
implementation of the terrorist watchlist.\116\ Peters' report
recommended that the relevant IGs conduct a comprehensive
assessment of the government's use and maintenance of the
terrorist watchlist, including examining agencies' compliance
with existing guidance on the watchlist, how individuals who
match to the watchlist are impacted, and the efficacy of the
redress process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\116\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Calls For
Inspectors General To Conduct Comprehensive, Coordinated Review of
Terrorist Watchlist, (Dec. 22, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters also introduced legislation to reform the
traveler redress process and improve screening practices at
airports and ports of entry. The Enhanced Oversight and
Accountability in Screening Act, which was passed by the
Committee, would require DHS to provide Congress with a plan to
meaningfully reform the redress process and improve the
experience of individuals who believe they have been wrongly
subjected to additional screenings or have experienced delays
in travel.\117\ The bill would establish a DHS Screening and
Watchlisting Advisory Committee, comprised of both governmental
and non-governmental representatives, to advise the Secretary
on the development, refinement, implementation, and evaluation
of security processes. To enhance transparency, the bill also
mandates the DHS Secretary to provide Congress with a report
assessing the effectiveness of secondary screenings and
inspections by the Transportation Security Administration and
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This legislation seeks to
strengthen public trust in our screening practices, increase
transparency into the screening system, and protect travelers'
civil rights and civil liberties.\118\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\117\S.4681 (118th Cong.). Report No: 118-318; Press Release,
Senator Gary Peters: Peters Introduces Bill to Reform Redress Process
and Improve Travel Screening Practices, (July 19, 2024).
\118\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
K. IMPROVING GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND
ADDRESSING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
To ensure that the government and federal contractors are
working in the best interests of Americans, the Committee
prioritized ensuring that they are meeting the highest
standards of integrity, impartiality and transparency by
removing conflicts of interest from their work. During the
118th Congress, the Committee held hearings and advanced
legislation seeking to improve government transparency and
address potential conflicts of interest in the federal
government and its contractors.
It is essential to ensure that companies contracting with
the federal government do not pose threats to our national
security and economic competitiveness. That is why, in 2023,
the Committee advanced Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator Chuck
Grassley's bipartisan legislation to improve our nation's
ability to prevent foreign governments from attempting to
influence U.S. policy.\119\ The Lobbying Disclosure Improvement
Act would improve transparency of the activities of lobbyists
who represent foreign persons or organizations by requiring
them to indicate whether they are taking advantage of an
exemption under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) when
they register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. This would
help the Department of Justice narrow the pool of registrants
they are examining for potential violations, while not imposing
any meaningful additional burden on registrants. This
legislation passed the Senate in 2023.\120\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\119\S. 264 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-12); S. 2289 (118th
Cong.); Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Chuck Grassley: Senate
Passes Peters and Grassley Bipartisan Bills to Help Prevent Foreign
Influence in U.S. Policy, (June 26, 2023).
\120\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following reports of federal contractors who simultaneously
promote competing interests, including those of our foreign
adversaries, Chairman Peters convened a hearing examining
conflicts of interest in federal contracting.\121\ During the
hearing, the witnesses discussed examples of recent troubling
conflicts of interest from some federal contractors and
highlighted the need to prevent future conflicts of
interest.\122\ Prior to the hearing, Peters sent a letter
urging the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council to
issue a rulemaking to prevent conflicts of interest in
government contracting after missing its deadline by more than
three months.\123\ This overdue guidance was required by
Peters' Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in
Federal Acquisition Act, which was signed into law in 2022, and
seeks to end conflicts of interest from federal contracts that
provide critical services to the American people.\124\
Following the Chairman's repeated calls to issue the guidance
required by his law, on January 15, 2025, the Defense
Department, in coordination with the General Services
Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, issued the requested notice of proposed
rulemaking.\125\ Prior to this hearing, the Committee also
passed U.S. Senator Josh Hawley's Time to Choose Act which
aimed to consulting firms from receiving government contracts
while advising U.S. adversaries.\126\ Finally, the Committee
advanced Chairman Peters Expanding Whistleblower Protections
for Contractors Act which closes existing loopholes in
whistleblower protection laws that have left employees of
federal contractors who have disclosed waste, fraud or abuse in
federal agencies vulnerable to acts of reprisal.\127\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\121\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Safeguarding the Homeland: Examining Conflicts of Interest
in Federal Contracting to Protect America's Future, 118th Cong. (Sept.
24, 2024) (S. Hrg. 118-437).
\122\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: ICMYI: Peters Convenes
Hearing to Examine Potential Conflicts of Interest in Federal
Contracting that Put National Security at Risk, (Sept. 24, 2024).
\123\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters, Chuck Grassley, Maggie
Hassan, Joni Ernst: Peters, Grassley, Hassan, and Ernst Press for
Action on Rulemaking to Address Federal Contracting Conflicts of
Interests After Missed Deadline, (Sept. 23, 2024).
\124\S. 3907 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-324.
\125\Federal Acquisition Regulation Proposed Rule: Preventing
Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition, 90 Fed.
Reg. 4376 (Jan. 15, 2025).
\126\S. 3810 (118th Cong.). Report No: 118-314.
\127\S. 1524 (118th Cong.). Report No: 118-202; Press Release,
Senator Gary Peters: Peters Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen
Whistleblower Protections for Federal Contractors, (May 11, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters also held a hearing to assess federal
agencies' compliance with federal recordkeeping and disclosure
laws.\128\ The Committee heard from records management and
transparency experts on how federal agencies' failure to
appropriately retain and disclose records obstructs
Congressional oversight and prevents transparency and
accountability for American taxpayers. The Committee also heard
about the challenges presented by rapid digitization and the
National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) lack of
resources and outdated records management technology. During
the hearing, Peters highlighted the need to update the Federal
Records Act and address the use of emerging technologies to
ensure that federal agencies are more efficient and
accountable. Following this hearing, Chairman Peters introduced
bipartisan legislation to modernize and strengthen the laws
requiring the maintenance and preservation of government
records.\129\ The Strengthening Oversight of Federal Records
Act would reform the Federal Records Act to strengthen
requirements for preserving records and create greater
accountability for mismanagement of federal agency records. The
bill also makes critical updates to account for commonly used
electronic communications, including disappearing messaging
apps, and takes steps to ensure that federal agencies are
utilizing emerging technology to manage their records more
efficiently. The Committee advanced this legislation in
November 2024.\130\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\128\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on Reforming Federal Records Management to Improve Transparency
and Accountability, 118th Cong. (March 20, 2024) (S. Hrg. 118-263);
Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Video: Peters Convenes Hearing to
Assess Federal Records Management Compliance, Discuss Potential
Reforms, (March 20, 2024).
\129\S. 4042 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-235; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and John Cornyn: Peters and Cornyn Introduce
Bipartisan Bill to Modernize Federal Records Laws, (March 28, 2024).
\130\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, to further improve government transparency, the
Committee advanced Chairman Peters' Clear and Concise Content
Act and his Improving Senate Confirmation and Vacancy Oversight
Act of 2024. The former bill ensures that guidance,
instructions, and other public information published by the
federal government is written in plain language.\131\ The
latter bill would create a dashboard to identify and track the
status of nominations for the more than 1,300 Senate-confirmed,
executive branch positions including which positions that are
vacant or held by an official in an acting role.\132\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\131\S. 717 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-26; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and James Lankford: Peters and Lankford
Reintroduce Clear and Concise Content Act, (March 9, 2023).
\132\S. 5133 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-325; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford and Amy Klobuchar: Peters,
Lankford, and Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve
Transparency of the Senate Confirmation Process, (September 24, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
L. IMPROVING GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY AND SAVING
TAXPAYER DOLLARS
During the 118th Congress, Chairman Peters continually
emphasized the importance of making government more efficient.
Effective oversight of the federal government is crucial to
ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and efficiently. To
achieve this objective, Chairman Peters directed the Committee
to convene hearings, and advance and enact legislation to
examine, mitigate, and eliminate federal waste, fraud, and
abuse.\133\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\133\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,
Hearing on GAO's 2023 High Risk List: Recommendations for Reducing
Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, 118th Cong. (April 20, 2023). (S. Hrg. 118-
67); Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Convenes Hearing to
Examine GAO's High Risk Report on Federal Waste, Fraud, and Abuse,
(April 20, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In April 2023, the Committee convened a hearing with the
Comptroller General of the United States, Gene L. Dodaro, to
examine the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office's
(GAO) 2023 High Risk List--a biennial report that identifies
federal programs that are vulnerable to waste, fraud,
abuse.\134\ During the hearing, Peters emphasized the important
role that GAO plays in helping Congress ensure a more effective
and efficient government. The hearing also discussed how the
High Risk List has helped identify reforms to save taxpayer
dollars, strengthen cybersecurity, address toxic substances,
and improve our response to public health emergencies. Several
issue area experts from the GAO also provided testimony to the
Committee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\134\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee advanced
numerous pieces of legislation during the 118th Congress to
increase government efficiency and reduce government waste. In
October 2024, Peters' Reuse Excess Property Act, to hold
agencies more accountable to the public on how they reuse
excess personal property, was signed into law following
Committee passage.\135\ This law will update existing
requirements for agencies to report their excess personal
property to the General Services Administration (GSA) by making
those reports available to the public as well. This would help
agency officials and taxpayers better understand the extent to
which agencies are working to cut wasteful spending through
excess property. The Government Accountability Office has
identified management of personal property as one of its high-
priority areas of recommendation for the GSA. From 2016 to
2020, agencies reported $32.8 billion worth of perfectly good
excess items that other agencies could use to meet their needs.
However, agencies only made use of twelve percent of these
items--$3.9 billion--while acquiring $206 billion in new items.
The Reuse Excess Property Act cuts down on this waste and
ensures agencies turn to their own internal supply before
buying new, to save taxpayers billions of dollars in excess
property costs.\136\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\135\S. 2685 (118th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 118-99; Press
Release: Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford: Peters and Lankford
Bipartisan Legislation to Save Taxpayer Dollars by Reusing Excess
Federal Property Signed into Law, (Oct. 3, 2024).
\136\Government Accountability Office, Federal Personal Property:
Better Internal Guidance and More Action from GSA Are Needed to Help
Agencies Maximize Use of Excess (GAO-22-104626) (June 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, Peters' Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Data Access Act was signed into law in October 2024 after being
advanced by the Committee.\137\ This law would make the
legislative process more efficient by eliminating procedural
delays in CBO's ability to access information from federal
agencies by providing CBO with the same exemption to the
Privacy Act granted to the Government Accountability Office and
both chambers of Congress. Like GAO's exemption, CBO would
still be required to maintain agencies' data at the same level
of confidentiality that is required of the agency from which
the data originated. By providing CBO with quicker access to
the information they need to analyze the impacts of
legislation, this bipartisan law will help make Congress more
efficient and ensure that lawmakers have up-to-date and
accurate information on how proposed reforms would affect the
American people.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\137\S. 1459 (118th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 118-104; Press
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Susan Collins: Peters and Collins
Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Efficiency of Legislative Process
Signed into Law, (Oct. 4, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Throughout the 118th Congress, Chairman Peters introduced
and advanced effective legislation seeking to save taxpayer
dollars. In February 2023, Chairman Peters introduced
bipartisan legislation to authorize Federal Executive Boards
(FEBs), which help improve collaboration among federal agency
offices located outside of Washington, D.C.\138\ The Improving
Government Efficiency and Workforce Development through Federal
Executive Boards Act was advanced by the Committee in May
2023.\139\ The bill would enable FEBs to further support agency
efforts to recruit and place students, veterans, and others
into skills training opportunities like apprenticeships and
paid internships at agency field offices. The following month,
Peters introduced the bipartisan Federal Agency Performance Act
to improve transparency and accountability on how federal
agencies are working to save taxpayer dollars and improve
delivery of essential services across the nation.\140\ This
legislation was signed into law on December 23, 2024.\141\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\138\S. 285 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-95; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters, John Cornyn, Alex Padilla: Peters, Cornyn &
Padilla Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Federal Workforce and
Delivery of Government Services, (Feb. 8, 2023).
\139\Ibid.
\140\S. 709 (118th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 118-190; Press
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Mike Braun: Peters & Braun
Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Transparency and Accountability
for Federal Agency Performance Goals, (March 8, 2023).
\141\S. 709 (118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters has been determined to streamline the
federal procurement process and reduce waste in government
contracts. In May 2023, the Committee advanced Peters'
bipartisan Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of
Software Assets (SAMOSA) Act which would require agencies to
conduct an independent, comprehensive assessment of their
software licensing, deployment, acquisition, and true use
capabilities. Because of the way software is variably offered,
sold, packaged, and distributed across agency information
technology (IT) investments, the government is projected to
spend north of $100 billion on IT in fiscal year 2025.\142\
This number will only increase, meaning that agencies must be
well informed when executing new procurements or negotiating
recompetes. Conservatively estimating that software makes up 30
percent of those expenditures, per year, and assuming that
improved software licensing negotiations, informed by the
comprehensive assessments required by agencies under this Act,
would lead to a 15 percent reduction in costs,\143\ taxpayers
could expect to see up to $5 billion in costs savings annually
over the life of this Act. That number is likely to increase if
government-wide purchasing agreements are leveraged by the
Office of Management and Budget based on the governmentwide
strategy required in this Act. This legislation builds on a law
written by Chairman Peters and Senator Cassidy to reduce
duplicative software purchases called the Making Electronic
Government Accountable By Yielding Tangible Efficiencies
(MEGABYTE) Act.\144\ Since being signed into law in 2016, the
MEGABYTE Act has saved taxpayers more than $3.4 billion.\145\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\142\Statista, Federal government information technology (IT)
expenditure in the United States from FY 2011 to FY 2025, by
significance. https://www.statista.com/statistics/554000/united-states-
federal-it-expenditure-by-investment-significance/, (accessed Feb. 26,
2025).
\143\TechRepublic, How you could save millions during software
licensing renegotiations. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/save-
with-software-licensing-renegotiations/, (accessed Feb. 26, 2025).
\144\H.R. 4904 (114th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 114-210; Press
Release, Senator Gary Peters: In Case You Missed It: Law Written by
Peters Saved Taxpayers More than $450 Million Since 2016, (Sept. 14,
2020).
\145\General Services Administration's Federal IT Dashboard, Cost
Savings. https://www.itdashboard.gov/cost-savings, (accessed Feb. 1,
2025).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the above procurement reforms, the Committee
advanced Peters' Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT)
Procurement Act, which would streamline how the federal
government buys cloud computing services.\146\ The Act would
add an exception to the statutory list of purchases for which
advance payment is allowed. Specifically, it would allow
federal agencies to make payment arrangements for information
and communications technology acquired on a subscription,
reservations, or tenancy basis, including cloud computing and
data center solutions. This is consistent with commercial
practices to get better deals and achieve savings. In July
2023, the Government Services Administration issued a Request
for Information (RFI) to learn about industry practices on
term-based Software as a Service (SaaS) pricing. The
information provided in response to that RFI confirms that
upfront payments for SaaS are a commercial best practice and
that the change in this provision should result in 3.75-20
percent savings for cloud computing and other similar
services.\147\ With verifiable total federal cloud expenditures
of $11 billion\148\ and assuming 50 percent of total cloud
computing expenditures are on term and subscription-based cloud
services, a pay up front model could reasonably yield estimated
cost savings of between $200 million to $1.1 billion annually.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\146\S. 4066 (118th Cong.). Report No: 118-276.
\147\Government Services Administration, GSA publishes Cloud Buying
Request for Information (RFI), (July 2023).
\148\GovWin IQ from Deltek, Federal Cloud Computing Market, 2022-
2024, Federal Issue Report, August 2022 Executive Summary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee also advanced other legislative efforts to
improve government operations and save taxpayer dollars. The
Streamlining Federal Grants Act, co-authored by Chairman
Peters, was advanced by the Committee.\149\ It directs the
Office of Management and Budget to provide guidance to federal
agencies on how they can simplify and streamline their grant
application processes, including by making notice of funding
opportunities easier to understand, updating software and
systems that are used to apply for and manage federal grants,
and implementing common data standards for grant reporting,
among other things.\150\ Peters then introduced the Improving
Government Services Act which would encourage all government
agencies to offer a better and more secure experience for
taxpayers by adopting customer service best practices from the
private sector.\151\ Next, the Committee advanced Peters'
bipartisan Agency Preparation for Transitions (APT) Act which
will ensure all federal agencies are prepared for a smooth
transition process by clarifying the timelines for the delivery
of key transition services.\152\ The Committee then advanced
Peters' bipartisan Government Spending Oversight Act which
creates the Government Spending Oversight Committee, a
successor to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee,
which Peters helped create, to combat and prevent fraud in
government spending.\153\ In March 2024, Peters introduced the
bipartisan Financial Management Risk Reduction Act to improve
the quality, usability, and completeness of grant recipient
audit data which was signed into law on December 23, 2024.\154\
Adding to Peters' success in advancing legislation promoting
government efficiency, the Senate unanimously passed his Saving
Money and Accelerating Repairs Through Leasing (SMART Leasing)
Act, to create a program that allows federal agencies to lease
underutilized properties with approval from the Administrator
of the General Services Administration (GSA), and to use the
rent payments to help fund capital projects and facilities
maintenance.\155\ Finally, the Committee advanced Chairman
Peters' bipartisan Permitting Council Improvement Act to update
the federal permitting process and increase Congressional
oversight of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering
Council.\156\ In addition to cutting red tape, this bill would
accelerate the development of projects that will create jobs,
boost the economy, and improve quality of life for Americans
across the country, while maintaining a commitment to robust
environmental stewardship.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\149\S. 2286 (118th Cong.). Report No: 118-126.
\150\ S. 2286 (118th Cong.). Report No: 118-126; Press Release:
Senators Gary Peters, John Cornyn, James Lankford: Peters, Cornyn and
Lankford Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Improve the Federal Grant
Application Process, (July 17, 2023).
\151\S. 2866 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-217; Press release:
Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford, John Cornyn: Peters, Lankford and
Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Customer Service at Federal
Agencies, (Oct.17, 2023).
\152\S. 3654 (118th Cong.). Report No. 118-313; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Susan Collins: Peters & Collins Bipartisan
Bill to Strengthen the Transition Process for Federal Agencies Passes
Committee (February 2, 2024).
\153\S. 4036 (118th Cong.). Report No. 118-186; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Mitt Romney: Peters and Romney Introduce
Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Oversight of Government Spending (March
28, 2024).
\154\S. 4716 (118th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 118-207; Press
Release: Senators Gary Peters and Ron Johnson: Peters and Johnson
Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Safeguard Taxpayer Dollars and Improve
Independent Auditing of Federal Grant Recipients (July 19, 2024).
\155\S. 211 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-35; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters, James Lankford, Kyrsten Sinema, Josh Hawley:
Senate Passes Peters, Lankford, Sinema & Hawley Bipartisan Bill to
Create Leasing Program for Underutilized Space Held by Federal Agencies
(Aug. 2, 2024).
\156\S. 4679 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-292; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and James Lankford: Committee Passes Peters and
Lankford Bipartisan Bill to Increase Transparency and Improve the
Federal Permitting Process, (Sept. 27, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPROVING FEDERAL CONTRACTING
When government contracting process runs smoothly, agencies
are better equipped to provide services to the American people
and taxpayer dollars are used more efficiently for procurement
and service delivery. In the 118th Congress, the Committee
sought to improve the federal contracting process and its
oversight. The Committee advanced Chairman Peters' bipartisan
Conforming Procedures for Federal Task and Delivery Order
Contracts Act which would slim down the procurement process for
contractors bidding on work as well as for the federal
government, ensuring necessary due diligence is done while
allowing awards to be made faster and to a wider array of
contractors, including small businesses.\157\ As noted above,
Chairman Peters also introduced-and the Committee advanced-the
bipartisan Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT) Procurement
Act to remove obstacles to acquiring products and services in a
timely and cost-effective way, increase competition for
contracts, and open additional opportunities for more
businesses to enter federal contracting.\158\ Finally, the
Committee advanced Chairman Peters' Improving Contracting
Outcomes Act of 2024 which would ensure agencies are focusing
on the outcomes of contracts, including assessing the
performance of contracting offices, identifying what works and
what does not, and improving the return on taxpayer
dollars.\159\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\157\S. 3626 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-242; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Joni Ernst: Peters & Ernst Bipartisan Bill to
Streamline Federal Contracting Process Advances in the Senate, (Feb. 1,
2024).
\158\S. 4066 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-276; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Ted Cruz: Peters and Cruz Introduce Bipartisan
Bill to Streamline the Federal Procurement Process, (April 3, 2024).
\159\S. 4055 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-274; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and James Lankford: Peters and Lankford Bipartisan
Bill to Save Taxpayer Dollars and Improve Federal Contracts Advances in
the Senate, (April 12, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, Chairman Peters introduced bipartisan
legislation to ensure Department of Homeland Security can
procure the latest technologies to effectively secure our
nation.\160\ His Better Enabling Secure and Trustworthy (BEST)
Technology for the Homeland Act was added to the Senate
calendar after advancing out of Committee in December 2024.
This legislation would authorize DHS to extend its use of a
procurement tool for acquiring leading-edge technology. This
procurement tool, known as other transaction authority (OTA),
provides DHS with the flexibility to work with the most
innovative businesses, including those that have not previously
contracted with the federal government. OTA has helped DHS
acquire advanced technologies to assist with critical homeland
security missions, including border security, aviation security
and supply chain security.\161\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\160\S. 3626 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-242; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Joni Ernst: Peters & Ernst Bipartisan Bill to
Streamline Federal Contracting Process Advances in the Senate, (Feb. 1,
2024).
\161\S. 4024 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-273; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Steve Daines: Peters and Daines Introduce
Bipartisan Bill to Ensure DHS Can Procure Advanced Technologies to
Strengthen National Security, (April 02, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
M. 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. During the 118th Congress, the
United States faced more than 45 weather events with damages
costing more than one billion dollars.\162\ These disasters led
to the deaths of more than 870 Americans.\163\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\162\NOAA National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S.
Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://
www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/events/US/2024, (accessed Feb. 20,
2025).
\163\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee worked to
improve disaster response and mitigate the impacts of future
severe weather events by passing bipartisan legislation.
Chairman Peters introduced the bipartisan Disaster Assistance
Deadlines Alignment Act with Ranking Member Rand Paul and
Senator Marco Rubio to create one application deadline for two
Federal Emergency Management Agency programs that individuals
use for federal disaster assistance. The bill, which was signed
into law in March 2024, aligns the deadlines to apply for
FEMA's Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and Individuals
and Households Program (IHP) to both be 60 days after a federal
disaster declaration.\164\ Previously, the DUA deadline was 30
days after a disaster declaration. This new law limits
confusion within the application process and reduces barriers
to access these critical resources in the wake of a disaster.
Chairman Peters, Ranking Member Paul and Senator James Lankford
also introduced the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act,
bipartisan legislation that was passed by the Senate to further
simplify the application process for federal disaster
assistance.\165\ The legislation would require FEMA to
establish a universal application across federal agencies for
those seeking federal assistance to recover from natural
disasters such as severe storms, floods, wildfires, and more.
Currently, individuals must fill out separate and detailed
applications depending on what agency they need help from--a
process that can take weeks or even months. This legislation
would significantly streamline this process to reduce the
burden on disaster survivors.\166\ Chairman Peters and U.S.
Senator John Kennedy introduced the bipartisan HELP Response
and Recovery Act, which passed the Senate in March 2024.\167\
This legislation would repeal an outdated section of the Post-
Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA) to
streamline support for disaster survivors after an emergency
and enable DHS to more effectively respond to emergencies.\168\
Chairman Peters also led the introduction of the bipartisan
Disaster Survivors Fairness Act, which was passed by the
Committee, to improve how FEMA provides assistance to
individuals.\169\ This bill would reform individual federal
disaster assistance programs to best support survivors,
including by providing FEMA with new authorities to increase
its ability to fund disaster mitigation projects and expand
support to homeowners for home repairs and disaster
housing.\170\ Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy
also led the introduction of the Facilitating Hazard
Mitigations Projects Act, which would require FEMA to simplify
its requirements for demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of
hazard mitigation grants and streamline the application process
for states, local governments, Tribes, and territories.\171\
Extensive applicant feedback has shown that the current
benefit-cost analysis process is cumbersome and overly
complicated, which puts underserved communities at a
disadvantage for accessing funds.\172\ Finally, the Senate
passed Chairman Peters' and Senator Bill Cassidy's Federal
Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning
Act, which would direct FEMA to create a plan for the agency to
effectively manage its workforce so that they are well-equipped
to help communities deal with natural disasters.\173\ This
legislation would improve FEMA's employee recruitment and
retention efforts, develop strategies to train and deploy their
workforce in efficient ways, and utilize data to address and
fix staffing gaps.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\164\S. 1858 (118th Cong.). S. Report No: 118-74; Press Release,
Senator Gary Peters: Peters Bipartisan Bill to Create One Deadline to
Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance Programs for Individuals Signed into
Law, (March 20, 2024).
\165\S. 1528 (118th Cong). S. Report No: 118-39; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters, Rand Paul and James Lankford: Senate Passes
Peters, Paul and Lankford Bipartisan Bill to Simplify Application
Process for Federal Disaster Assistance, (Aug. 1, 2023).
\166\ Ibid.
\167\S. 3648 (118th Cong.). S. Report No: 118-161.
\168\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and John Kennedy: Peters
and Kennedy Bipartisan Bill to Improve Federal Government's Response to
Emergencies Passes Senate, (March 21, 2024).
\169\S. 5067 (118th Cong.). S. Report No. 118-321; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters, Thom Tillis, James Lankford, Peter Welch: Peters,
Tillis, Lankford, & Welch Bipartisan Bill to Reform FEMA Individual
Assistance Programs Heads to Senate, (Sept. 27, 2024).
\170\Ibid.
\171\S. 3067 (118th Cong.). S. Report No: 118-228; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Bill Cassidy: Peters & Cassidy Introduce
Bipartisan Bill to Simplify Requirements for Hazard Mitigation Grants,
(Oct. 19, 2023).
\172\Ibid.
\173\S. 4181, (118th Cong.). Report No. 118-236; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Bill Cassidy: Senate Passes Peters and Cassidy
Bipartisan Bill to Bolster FEMA Workforce Planning, Protect Communities
From Natural Disasters (Dec. 19, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
N. SUPPORTING THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
Every day, civil servants across the federal government go
to work for the American people. They ensure Americans get
their Social Security checks on time. They distribute resources
in the wake of natural disasters. They strengthen our national
security and help protect our borders. Civil servants carry out
the critical tasks of governance. Given pending threats to
politicize the nonpartisan civilian federal workforce, Chairman
Peters convened a hearing examine the Schedule F proposal that
existed under the first Trump Administration and the threat it
poses to the delivery of critical government services.\174\ The
hearing highlighted how removing qualified, nonpartisan experts
from key government positions would hinder our government's
efficiency and harm the American people by draining the federal
government of institutional knowledge, expertise, and
continuity. It would also slow down services, make our nation
less prepared when disaster strikes, and erode public trust in
government. Perhaps most importantly, it would weaken our
national security and make us more vulnerable to serious
threats facing our nation. More than 70 percent of the federal
workforce serves in defense and national security agencies. The
witnesses discussed how to protect the nonpartisan civil
service and offered steps Congress could take to strengthen it
for the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\174\Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, Hearing on Ensuring a Trustworthy Government: Examining the
National Security Risks of Replacing Nonpartisan Civil Servants with
Political Appointees, 118th Cong. (Sept. 17, 2024).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman Peters also led several key legislative efforts to
support and strengthen the federal workforce. Most notably, the
Committee advanced Chairman Peters' Dismantling Outdated
Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment (DOOBIE) Act to
ensure applicants for federal positions or security clearances
are not being denied solely on the basis of past recreational
and medical marijuana use.\175\ This bill would align federal
hiring practices with current guidance on past marijuana use,
broaden the federal employee applicant pool by providing
clarity, and help the government compete with the private
sector for talent.\176\ Chairman Peters and U.S. Senator Joni
Ernst also introduced the bipartisan Telework Transparency Act
increase transparency and oversight of federal telework
policies.\177\ This bill, which was passed by the Committee,
would make federal telework policies more transparent by
requiring agencies to make policies publicly available online.
The legislation will also require agencies to establish
automated systems to track employee use of telework. Agencies
must also monitor office building utilization and the effects
of telework on agency performance, including customer service,
backlogs and wait times, cost to operations, security,
management of real property and personal property, technology
investments, and recruitment and retention. The bill directs
OPM to establish quality data standards and compile the data in
a centralized location to ensure transparency for the American
people.\178\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\175\S. 4711 (118th Cong.), Report No: 118-319; Press Release,
Senator Gary Peters, Committee Passes the DOOBIE Act, (Sept.18, 2024).
\176\Ibid.
\177\S. 4043 (118th Cong.), Report No. 118-315; Press Release,
Senators Gary Peters and Joni Ernst: Peters and Ernst Introduce
Bipartisan Bill to Increase Transparency and Oversight of Federal
Telework, (April 3, 2024).
\178\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 59, 118TH CONGRESS
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS.
Sec. 12. (a) * * *
* * * * * * * *
(e) Investigations--
L (1) In general.--The committee, or any duly authorized
subcommittee of the committee, is authorized to study or
investigate--
L (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;
L (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;
L (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;
L (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;
L (E) the efficiency and economy of operations of all
branches and functions of the Government with particular
reference to--
L (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;
L (ii) the capacity of present national security
staffing, methods, and processes to make full use of the
Nation's resources of knowledge and talents;
L (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
L (iv) legislative and other proposals to improve
these methods, processes, and relationships;
L (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--
L (i) the collection and dissemination of accurate
statistics on fuel demand and supply;
L (ii) the implementation of effective energy
conservation measures;
L (iii) the pricing of energy in all forms;
L (iv) coordination of energy programs with State and
local government;
L (v) control of exports of scarce fuels;
L (vi) the management of tax, import, pricing, and
other policies affecting energy supplies;
L (vii) maintenance of the independent sector of the
petroleum industry as a strong competitive force;
L (viii) the allocation of fuels in short supply by
public and private entities;
L (ix) the management of energy supplies owned or
controlled by the Government;
L (x) relations with other oil producing and consuming
countries;
L (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
L (xii) research into the discovery and development of
alternative energy supplies; and
L (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.
L (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.
L (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, her, or their discretion--
L (A) to require by subpoena or otherwise the attendance
of witnesses and production of correspondence, books, papers,
and documents;
L (B) to hold hearings;
L (C) to sit and act at any time or place during the
sessions, recess, and adjournment periods of the Senate;
L (D) to administer oaths; and
L (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.
L (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.
L (5) Subpoena authority.--All subpoenas and related legal
processes of the committee and any duly authorized subcommittee
of the committee authorized under Senate Resolution 70 (117th
Congress) agreed to February 24, 2021, are authorized to
continue.
III. BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS REFERRED AND CONSIDERED
During the 118th Congress, 450 Senate bills and 118 House
bills were referred to the Committee for consideration. In
addition, 6 Senate Resolutions and 1 Senate Concurrent
Resolutions were referred to the Committee.
The Committee reported 169 bills; and additional measures
were discharged.
Of the legislation received by the Committee, 97 measures
became public laws, including 68 postal naming bills.
IV. HEARINGS
During the 118th Congress, the Committee held 37 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 and
witnesses, with archives going back to 1997, are online at the
Committee's Website, https://hsgac.senate.gov/.
Nomination of Colleen J. Shogan to be Archivist of the United States,
National Archives and Records Administration. February 28,
2023. (S. Hearing 118-24).
This one paneled hearing considered the nomination of
Colleen J. Shogan to be Archivist of the United States,
National Archives and Records Administration.
Artificial Intelligence: Risks and Opportunities. March 8, 2023. (S.
Hearing 118-25).
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the risks and
opportunities facing government agencies, industry, and civil
society regarding the adoption of artificial intelligence
technologies, and to explore potential policy approaches to
both support innovation and ensure responsible use. The
witnesses discussed topics such as safety, accountability,
civil rights and civil liberties, the future of work, economic
competitiveness, and national security as they pertain to AI.
Witnesses: Alexandra Reeve Givens, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Center for Democracy and Technology; Suresh
Venkatasubramanian, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science and
Data Science, Brown University; Jason Matheny, Ph.D., President
and Chief Executive Officer, RAND Corporation.
In Need of a Checkup: Examining the Cybersecurity Risks to the
Healthcare Sector. March 16, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-55).
The purpose of this hearing is to examine the cybersecurity
challenges facing the Health Care and Public Health critical
infrastructure sector and the risks that cyber-attacks will
continue to pose in the future. The witnesses discussed topics
such as the hazards of exposing facility, medical, patient, and
other sensitive data to adversaries, the challenges healthcare
organizations of various sizes face in improving their
cybersecurity posture, and the burdens placed on communities
when healthcare organizations experience cyber-attacks.
Additionally, the witnesses provided proposals for ways the
Federal government can support the sector in their efforts to
mitigate these risks.
Witnesses: Scott Dresen, President, Information Security
and Chief Information Security Officer, Corewell Health; Kate
Pierce, Senior Virtual Information Security Officer, Fortified
Health Security; Greg Garcia, Executive Director, Cyber
Security Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating
Council; Stirling Martin, Senior Vice President, Chief Privacy
and Security Officer, Epic Systems.
Drug Shortage Health and National Security Risks: Underlying Causes and
Needed Reforms. March 22, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-56).
The purpose of this hearing was to inform members of the
committee about key issues related to shortages for critical
drugs. The hearing examined shortages for key drugs commonly
needed in hospital and health care settings and the impact
these shortages have on patients, hospitals, and health care
providers. The hearing will be an opportunity to hear from
experts about the underlying causes for the majority of drug
shortages and to explore potential reforms. The hearing will
cover topics including manufacturing costs for highly-complex
sterile injectable generic drugs, reliance on foreign and
geographically concentrated sources for critical drugs, and
supply chain transparency, including upstream supply chain
transparency.
Witnesses: Andrew Shuman, M.D., Associate Professor of
Otolarynology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chief of the Clinical
Ethics Service, Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in
Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School; Vimala
Raghavendran, Vice President, Pharmacuetical Supply Chain
Center, U.S. Pharmacopeia; Erin Fox, PharmD, Associate Chief
Pharmacy Officer of Shared Services, Adjunct Professor, College
of Pharmacy, University of Utah; John C. Goodman, Ph.D.,
President, Goodman Institute for Public Policy Research.
Modernizing the Government's Classification System. March 23, 2023. (S.
Hearing 118-57).
The purpose of this hearing was to assess the problem of
over-classification within the federal government and to
explore possible reforms to the classification system. This
hearing allows the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee to examine how over-classification prevents
government efficiency, contributes to the mishandling of
classified information, and keeps the public in the dark about
matters critical to the public interest.
Witnesses: Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director, Liberty and
National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice; Thomas
Blanton, Director, National Security Archive, The George
Washington University; John Fitzpatrick, Former Director,
Information Security Oversight Office; Patrick G. Eddington,
Senior Fellow, Cato Institute.
The FY24 DHS Budget: Resources and Authorities Requested to Protect and
Secure the Homeland. April 18, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-213).
The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the Department
of Homeland Security's budget request and legislative
priorities for Fiscal Year 2024. The witness addressed the need
for additional resources and authorities to protect and secure
the homeland, and also 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.
GAO's 2023 High Risk List: Recommendations for Reducing Waste, Fraud,
and Abuse. April 20, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-67).
The purpose of this hearing was to focus on government
operations that the GAO has placed on its 2023 ``High Risk
List.'' Since 1990, the Government Accountability Office has
begun each new Congress by reporting on government programs or
operations that it considers ``high risk'' due to their
vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.
Witnesses: The Honorable Eugene L. Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability
Office; Accompanied by: Nick Marinos, Managing Director,
Information Technology and Cybersecurity; Charles Johnson,
Managing Director, Homeland Security and Justice; and Jessica
Farb, Managing Director, Health Care.
Improving Access to Federal Grants for Underserved Communities. May 2,
2023. (S. Hearing 118-68).
Grants constitute a significant portion of government
spending and serve as a widely utilized policy instrument for
Congress. At the same time, many organizations and communities
report that applying for and managing grants is challenging -
so challenging that some are deterred from applying at all. The
purpose of this hearing was to learn about these challenges,
which informed the Committee's efforts to increase
transparency, minimize administrative burden and waste, and
ensure responsible use of taxpayer funds in relation to grants.
Witnesses: Jeff Arkin, Director, Strategic Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Megan Elliott, Ph.D., Deputy
Chief Financial Officer for the City of Detroit, Director,
Office of Development and Grants; Matthew Hanson, Associate
Managing Director, Witt O'Brien's.
Artificial Intelligence in Government. May 16, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-
XXX).
The purpose of this hearing was to brief Committee members
on the current landscape of government procurement, use, and
governance of artificial intelligence (AI). In this second part
to this series, this hearing provided an opportunity to
identify issues agencies should consider when adopting
automated decision-making or AI systems, including
transparency, trustworthiness, explainability, and fairness,
among others. This hearing informed the Committee's work to
advance responsible innovation and use of AI in government
while upholding individuals' civil rights and liberties.
Witnesses: Richard A. Eppink, Of Counsel, American Civil
Liberties Union of Idaho Foundation; Taka Ariga, Chief Data
Scientist, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Lynne E.
Parker, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor and Director, AI
Tennessee Initiative, University of Tennessee; Daniel E. Ho,
Professor, Stanford Law School; Jacob Siegel, Writer.
FASTA Implementation and Optimizing the Efficient Use of Federal
Property. June 8, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-212).
While the Federal Assets Sale Transfer Act (FASTA) set out
to streamline and simplify the disposal of unneeded federal
real property (buildings, land, structures), its effectiveness
is subject to debate. The purpose of this hearing was to
examine the optimization of the federal footprint and whether
FASTA has effectively contributed to this goal.
Witnesses: Witnesses: Nina M. Albert, Commissioner, Public
Buildings Service, U.S. General Services Administration; David
Marroni, Physical Infrastructure, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; The Honorable Nick Rahall, Board Member,
Public Buildings Reform Board.
Nominations of The Honorable Robert G. Taub to be a Commissioner to the
Postal Regulatory Commission, Tanya M. Jones Bosier to be an
Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia, Daniel L.H. Nguyen to be an Associate Judge to the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Kenechukwu O.
Okocha to be an Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the
District of Columbia. September 7, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-134).
This hearing considered the nominations of The Honorable
Robert G. Taub to be a Commissioner to the Postal Regulatory
Commission, Tanya M. Jones Bosier to be an Associate Judge to
the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Daniel L.H.
Nguyen to be an Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the
District of Columbia, and Kenechukwu O. Okocha to be an
Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia.
Governing AI Through Acquisition and Procurement. September 14, 2023.
(S. Hearing 118-135).
As development and use of artificial intelligence (AI)
accelerates across the country and the world, the federal
government's approach to acquiring and procuring AI warrants
examination. The attributes of AI systems-such as their
complexity, extensive reliance on data, and lack of
transparency-coupled with the implications of AI systems for
our civil liberties and constitutional rights necessitates
thoughtful scrutiny. In the third part of the artificial
intelligence series, the purpose of this hearing was to brief
Committee members on the challenges and opportunities
associated with government acquisition and procurement of AI,
and to offer recommendations for how Congress should engage on
this issue.
Witnesses: Rayid Ghani, Distinguished Career Professor,
Machine Learning Department and the Heinz College of
Information Systems and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon
University; Fei-Fei Li, Ph.D., Sequoia Professor, Computer
Science Department and Co-Director, Human-Centered AI
Institute, Stanford University; Devaki Raj, Former Chief
Executive Officer and Co-Founder, CrowdAI; William Roberts,
Director of Emerging Technologies, ASI Government; Michael
Shellenberger, Founder, Public.
Nominations of Thomas G. Day to be a Commissioner to the Postal
Regulatory Commission, Katherine E. Oler to be an Associate
Judge to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Judith
E. Pipe to be an Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the
District of Columbia, and Charles J. Willoughby, Jr., to be an
Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia. September 21, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-137).
This hearing considered the nominations of Thomas G. Day to
be a Commissioner to the Postal Regulatory Commission,
Katherine E. Oler to be an Associate Judge to the Superior
Court of the District of Columbia, Judith E. Pipe to be an
Associate Judge to the Superior Court of the District of
Columbia, and Charles J. Willoughby, Jr., to be an Associate
Judge to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Threats to the Homeland. October 31, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-162).
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 Harry Coker, Jr., to be National Cyber Director,
Executive Office of the President, Jeff Rezmovic to be Chief
Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and
Suzanne E. Summerlin to be General Counsel to the Federal Labor
Relations Authority. November 2, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-163).
This hearing considered the nominations of Harry Coker,
Jr., to be National Cyber Director, Executive Office of the
President, Jeff Rezmovic to be Chief Financial Officer, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, and Suzanne E. Summerlin to be
General Counsel to the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
The Philosophy of AI: Learning from History, Shaping our Future.
November 8, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-164).
In the fourth part of the artificial intelligence series,
the purpose of this hearing was to brief Committee members on
the broader societal context for and impacts of advances in
artificial intelligence, grounded in witnesses' expertise in
the intersections of economics, history, philosophy, ethics,
and constitutional law with technological change.
Witnesses: Daron Acemoglu, Ph.D., Institute Professor,
Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
Margaret Hu, Taylor Reveley Research Professor and Professor of
Law, William and Mary Law School; Shannon Vallor, Ph.D.,
Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial
Intelligence, Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of
Edinburgh.
Examining the Security of Federal Facilities. November 29, 2023. (S.
Hearing 118-241).
The purpose of this hearing was to examine current threats
to federal facilities, the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and
Interagency Security Committee's (ISC) roles in securing these
facilities, and factors that limit security operations.
Witnesses: Richard Cline, Director, Federal Protective
Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Scott Breor,
Associate Director, Security Programs, Cybersecurity and
Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security; David Marroni, Acting Director, Physical
Infrastructure, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Nominations of The Honorable Hampton Y. Dellinger to be Special Counsel
in the Office of Special Counsel, and The Honorable Henry J.
Kerner to be a Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
November 30, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-240).
This hearing considered the nominations of The Honorable
Hampton Y. Dellinger to be Special Counsel in the Office of
Special Counsel, and The Honorable Henry J. Kerner to be a
Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Harnessing AI to Improve Government Services and Customer Experience.
January 10, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-225).
In the first part of the artificial intelligence series,
the purpose of this hearing was to examine the potential
application of artificial intelligence (AI) by federal agencies
to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and accessibility of
government services and improve customer experience (CX).
Witnesses provided insights into current CX modernization
efforts and discuss strategies for the safe adoption of AI
tools in public service delivery. The hearing considered (1)
current obstacles hindering AI adoption within federal
agencies; (2) risks and benefits of integrating AI in public-
facing service delivery; and (3) recommendations that could
enable the federal government to effectively utilize AI to
improve citizen engagement and service delivery.
Witnesses: Jennifer Pahlka, Author, Recording America: Why
Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do
Better, and Former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer (2013-
2014), Office of Science and Technology Policy; Beth Noveck,
Chief Innovation Officer, State of New Jersey, and Professor of
Experiential AI, Northeastern University; Beth Blauer,
Associate Vice Provost for Public Sector Innovation, Johns
Hopkins University.
The Cyber Safety Review Board: Expectations, Outcomes, and Enduring
Questions. January 17, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-226).
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Cyber Safety
Review Board (CSRB) and its activities. The witnesses discussed
their views on the appropriate role of the CSRB, benefits and
shortcomings of previous reviews, and their assessments of the
governance of the board, including membership and processes for
selecting topics and completing reviews. Furthermore, the
witnesses highlighted their proposals for ways to improve how
the Board supports the cybersecurity ecosystem.
Witnesses: Tarah M. Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer, Red
Queen Dynamics; John Miller, Senior Vice President of Policy,
Trust, Data, and Technology, and General Counsel, Information
Technology Industry Council; and Trey Herr, Ph.D., Director,
Cyber Statecraft Initiative, Atlantic Council.
A Nation on Fire: Responding to the Increasing Wildfire Threat. March
14, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-262).
The purpose of this hearing was to inform members of the
committee about the increasing threat of wildfires to
communities and steps the federal government can take to
improve disaster response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.
The hearing covered topics such as the recent Wildland Fire
Mitigation and Management Commission report, the increase in
severity of wildfires, the wildfire smoke that impacted
communities across the country last summer, and recent
destructive wildfire disasters.
Witnesses: Lori Moore-Merrell, DrPH, Administrator, U.S.
Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; David W. Fogerson, Chief,
Division on Emergency Management and Office of Homeland
Security, Department of Public Safety, State of Nevada; Jamie
Barnes, Director, Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Department of
Natural Resources, State of Utah; Lucinda Andreani, Deputy
County Manager and Flood Control District Coordinator, Coconino
County, State of Arizona; Christopher P. Currie, Director,
Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
Reforming Federal Records Management to Improve Transparency and
Accountability. March 20, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-263).
The purpose of this hearing was to assess Executive Branch
compliance with federal recordkeeping and disclosure laws. The
hearing examined how federal agencies' failure to retain and
disclose records obstructs Congressional oversight, and
prevents transparency and accountability for American
taxpayers. Additionally, as records and information continue to
modernize, this hearing examined ways to ensure the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is equipped to
handle the rapid proliferation of electronic records, including
when agencies use applications that automatically delete
messages and when agency personnel use personal email addresses
to avoid accountability. Witnesses helped HSGAC 1) understand
how gaps in existing records retention and agency non-
compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests limit
public accountability and 2) explore options to strengthen
transparency for the American public.
Witnesses: Anne Weismann, Outside Counsel, Citizens for
Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the Project on
Government Oversight; Gary Ruskin, Executive Director and Co-
Founder, U.S. Right to Know.
Oversight of the United States Postal Service. April 16, 2024. (S.
Hearing 118-274).
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the U.S. Postal
Service and its current service, operations, and finances. The
committee discussed topics including, but not limited to, the
``Delivering for America Plan'' and changes to the Postal
Service's network; implementation of the Postal Service Reform
Act; and the Postal Service's overall financial stability and
performance in carrying out its service obligations.
Witnesses: Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and Chief
Executive Officer, United States Postal Service; The Honorable
Roman Martinez IV, Chairman, Board of Governors, United States
Postal Service; The Honorable Michael Kubayanda, Chairman,
Postal Regulatory Commission; Tammy Hull, Inspector General,
United States Postal Service.
Nominations of the Honorable Colleen D. Kiko and the Honorable Anne M.
Wagner to be Members, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and
David Huitema to be Director, Office of Government Ethics.
April 17, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-275).
This hearing considered the nominations of the Honorable
Colleen D. Kiko and the Honorable Anne M. Wagner to be Members,
Federal Labor Relations Authority, and David Huitema to be
Director, Office of Government Ethics.
The FY25 DHS Budget: Resources and Authorities Requested to Protect and
Secure the Homeland. April 18, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-XXX).
The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the Department
of Homeland Security's budget request and legislative
priorities for Fiscal Year 2025. In particular, the witness
addressed the need for additional resources and authorities to
protect and secure the homeland, and also how the Department's
budget request meets the current and future homeland security
needs of the nation.
Witness: The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Restoring Congressional Oversight over Emergency Powers: Exploring
Options to Reform the National Emergencies Act. May 22, 2024.
(S. Hearing 118-343).
The purpose of this hearing was to inform members of the
committee about the uses and potential abuses of presidential
emergency powers. The hearing reviewed the statutory
authorities and constitutional limits associated with
presidential emergency powers and explored options for
legislative reform to the National Emergencies Act.
Witnesses: Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director, Liberty &
National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice, New York
University School of Law; Satya Thallam, Senior Fellow,
Foundation for American Innovation; and Gene Healy, Senior Vice
President for Policy, Cato Institute.
Nominations of Sherri M. Beatty Arthur, Rahkel Bouchet, Erin C.
Johnston, Ray D. McKenzie, and John C. Truong to be Associate
Judges, Superior Court of the District of Columbia. June 4,
2024. (S. Hearing 118-352).
This hearing considered the nominations of Sherri M. Beatty
Arthur, Rahkel Bouchet, Erin C. Johnston, Ray D. McKenzie, and
John C. Truong to be Associate Judges, Superior Court of the
District of Columbia.
Streamlining the Federal Cybersecurity Regulatory Process: The Path to
Harmonization. June 5, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-353).
The objective of this hearing was to examine challenges
posed by the current cybersecurity regulatory environment for
businesses of all sizes across the nation. The witnesses
discussed the complexities arising from multiple overlapping
regulatory regimes, the compliance difficulties that businesses
and organizations encounter, and the efforts underway to
promote regulatory harmonization, including the recent Office
of the National Cyber Director Request for Information.
Witnesses: Nicholas Leiserson, Assistant National Cyber
Director for Cyber Policy and Programs, Office of the National
Cyber Director, Executive Office of the President; David
Hinchman, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity,
U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Origins of COVID-19: An Examination of Available Evidence. June 18,
2024. (S. Hearing 118-355).
The purpose of this hearing was to evaluate the scientific
evidence and related information, available to date, regarding
the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19
pandemic. The hearing also examined the federal government's
efforts to identify the origins of COVID-19.
Witnesses: Gregory D. Koblentz, Ph.D., Associate Professor
and Director, Biodefense Gradate Program, George Mason
University; Robert F. Garry, Ph.D., Professor and Associate
Dean, School of Medicine, Tulane University; Steven C. Quay,
M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Atossa Therapeutics,
Inc., and Former Faculty, Stanford University School of
Medicine; Richard E. Ebright, Ph.D., Board of Governors,
Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Laboratory
Director, Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers
University.
Oversight of the Permitting Council: Improving Transparency and
Coordination. July 10, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-375).
The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Permitting
Council's role in streamlining permitting processes and
enhancing intergovernmental coordination. This hearing reviewed
the Permitting Council's oversight strategy and agency
priorities.
Witness: Eric Beightel, Executive Director, Federal
Permitting Improvement Steering Council.
Risky Research: Oversight of U.S. Taxpayer Funded High-Risk Virus
Research. July 11, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-376).
The purpose of this hearing was to examine U.S. Government
policies and guidance regarding the funding, transparency, and
oversight of specific categories of federally funded high-risk
life sciences research, including gain of function research,
dual use research of concern, research involving pathogens with
enhanced pandemic potential, and surveillance projects
involving high-consequence pathogens. The witnesses discussed
U.S. Government policies and guidance, including any strengths
and gaps in current policy.
Witnesses: Gerald W. Parker, DVM, Ph.D., Associate Dean for
Global One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, and
Director, Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness Policy Program,
Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, Texas A&M
University; Carrie D. Wolinetz, Ph.D., Senior Principal and
Chair, Health & Bioscience Innovation Practice, Lewis-Burke
Associates, LLC; Robert R. Redfield, M.D., Former Director
(2018-2021), Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; Kevin M. Esvelt,
Ph.D., Associate Professor, MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
Nominations of the Honorable Ann C. Fisher and the Honorable Ashley E.
Poling to be Commissioners, Postal Regulatory Commission, and
Carmen G. Iguina Gonzalez and Joseph R. Palmore to be Associate
Judges, District of Columbia Court of Appeals. July 25, 2024.
(S. Hearing 118-378).
This hearing considered the nominations of the Honorable
Ann C. Fisher and the Honorable Ashley E. Poling to be
Commissioners, Postal Regulatory Commission, and Carmen G.
Iguina Gonzalez and Joseph R. Palmore to be Associate Judges,
District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Examination of the Security Failures Leading to the Assassination
Attempt on Former President Trump. July 30, 2024. (S. Hearing
118-379).
The objective of this hearing was to examine the security
failures that led to the assassination attempt of former
President Trump and the loss of life of an innocent bystander
and injuries to several others during a campaign rally in
Butler, PA, on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Witnesses: Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., Acting Director, United
States Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Paul Abbate, Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
U.S. Department of Justice.
Ensuring a Trustworthy Government: Examining the National Security
Risks of Replacing Nonpartisan Civil Servants with Political
Appointees. September 17, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-436).
The purpose of the hearing is to examine the roles of
nonpartisan civil servants and political appointees in national
security and federal operations, including with respect to
agency leadership decisions, employee accountability, and
whistleblowing.
Witnesses: The Honorable Elaine Duke, Former Deputy
Secretary (2017-2018), and Former Under Secretary for
Management (2008-2010), U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
The Honorable Peter Levine, Former Acting Under Secretary for
Personnel and Readiness (2016-2017), and Former Deputy Chief
Management Officer (2015-2016), U.S. Department of Defense;
Jenny Mattingley, Vice President of Government Affairs,
Partnership for Public Service; Tom Devine, Legal Director,
Government Accountability Project.
Safeguarding the Homeland: Examining Conflicts of Interest in Federal
Contracting to Protect America's Future. September 24, 2024.
(S. Hearing 118-437).
This hearing will examine potential conflicts of interest
involving federal contractors and the importance of mitigating
these risks while simultaneously maintaining economic dynamism
among businesses operating as federal contractors.
Witnesses: Jessica Tillipman, Associate Dean for Government
Procurement Law Studies and Government Contracts Advisory
Council Distinguished Professorial Lecturer in Government
Contracts Law, Practice & Policy, George Washington University
Law School; Rush Doshi, Ph.D., C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for
Asia Studies, Council on Foreign Relations and Assistant
Professor, Georgetown University; Clark Packard, Research
Fellow, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies,
Cato Institute; Bryan Riley, Director, Free Trade Initiative,
National Taxpayers Union.
Nominations of the Honorable Val Butler Demings, the Honorable William
Zollars, and the Honorable Gordon Hartogensis to be Governors,
United States Postal Service, and James G. Lake and Nicholas G.
Miranda to be Associate Judges, Superior Court of the District
of Columbia. November 14, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-307).
This hearing considered the nominations of the Honorable
Val Butler Demings, the Honorable William Zollars, and the
Honorable Gordon Hartogensis to be Governors, United States
Postal Service, and James G. Lake and Nicholas G. Miranda to be
Associate Judges, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Oversight of the United States Postal Service: Understanding Proposed
Service Changes. December 5, 2024. (S. Hearing 118-518).
The purpose of this hearing was to provide oversight of the
U.S. Postal Service and its plans for service, operations, and
finances. The witnesses discussed topics including, but not
limited to, the Postal Service's plans for service changes
under review by the Postal Regulatory Commission; Postal
Service transparency and accountability to Members of Congress
and stakeholders; and the Postal Service's overall financial
stability.
Witnesses: Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and Chief
Executive Officer, United States Postal Service.
V. REPORTS, PRINTS, AND GAO REPORTS
During the 118th Congress, the Committee prepared and
issued 170 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
Seventeenth Congress S. Rept. 118-1.
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. 118-12, S. 264.
To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to clarify a
provision relating to certain contents of registrations under
that Act. S. Rept. 118-13, re S. 829.
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. 118-14, re. S. 349.
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. 118-15, re. S. 933.
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. 118-16, re.
S. 206.
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. 118-17, re. S. 670.
To improve performance and accountability in the Federal
Government, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-18, re. S.
709.
To require a guidance clarity statement on certain agency
guidance, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-19, re. S. 108.
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish
a national risk management cycle, and for other purposes. S
Rept. 118-20, re. S. 824.
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. 118-23, re. S. 243.
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. 118-24, re. S. 310.
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, replaced, amended, or otherwise made ineffective. S.
Rept. 118-25, re. S. 679.
To improve plain writing and public experience, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-26, re. S. 717.
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. 118-27, re. S.
794.
To require each agency, in providing notice of a
rulemaking, to include a link to a 100-word plain language
summary of the proposed rule. S. Rept. 118-28, re. S. 111.
To prohibit contracting with persons that have business
operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-29, re. S. 257.
To modify the fire management assistance cost share, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-30, re, S. 479.
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to
analyze certain legislation in order to prevent duplication of
and overlap with existing Federal programs, offices, and
initiatives. S. Rept. 118-31, re. S. 780.
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. 118-
32, re. S. 917.
To authorize the Administrator of General Services to
establish an enhanced use lease pilot program, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-35, re. S. 211.
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. 118-36,
re. S. 666.
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. 118-37, re.
S. 932.
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. 118-39, re. S. 1528.
To provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary
authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive
branch agencies, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-40, re.
S. 1549.
To provide for joint reports by relevant Federal agencies
to Congress regarding incidents of terrorism, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-46, re. S. 945.
To establish a Government-wide approach to improving
digital identity, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-47, re.
S. 884.
To improve the visibility, accountability, and oversight of
agency software asset management practices, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-73, re. S. 931.
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to establish a deadline for applying
for disaster unemployment assistance. S. Rept. 118-74, re. S.
1858.
To require an interagency study to produce a security
assessment process on adjacent space to high-security leased
space to accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-82, re. S. 1868.
To provide for drone security. S. Rept. 118-87, re. S. 473.
To amend provisions relating to the Office of the Inspector
General of the Government Accountability Office, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-88, re. S. 1510.
To direct agencies to be transparent when using automated
and augmented systems to interact with the public or make
critical decisions, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-89,
re. S. 1865.
To establish a Federal Clearinghouse on Safety and Best
Practices for Nonprofit Organizations, Faith-based
Organizations, and Houses of Worship within the Department of
Homeland Security, and for other purposes S. Rept. 118-90, re.
S. 1886.
To require agencies to include a list of outdated or
duplicative reporting requirements in annual budget
justifications, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-91, re. S.
2073.
To require a report on Federal support to the cybersecurity
of commercial satellite systems, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-92, re. S. 1425.
To create intergovernmental coordination between State,
local, Tribal, and territorial jurisdictions, and the Federal
Government to combat United States reliance on the People's
Republic of China and other covered countries for critical
minerals and rare earth metals, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-93, re. S. 1871.
To require the purchase of domestically made flags of the
United States of America for use by the Federal Government. S.
Rept. 118-94, re. S. 1973.
To provide for the perpetuation, administration, and
funding of Federal Executive Boards, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-95, re. S. 285.
To establish a Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve in the
Department of Homeland Security as a pilot project to address
the cybersecurity needs of the United States with respect to
national security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-96, re.
S. 885.
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for
special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-97, re. S. 2272.
To correct the inequitable denial of enhanced retirement
and annuity benefits to certain U.S. Customs and Border
Protection Officers. S. Rept. 118-101, re. S. 311.
To establish the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness
Program, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-102, re. S. 1137.
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. 118-103, re. S. 1443.
To restrict the flow of illicit drugs into the United
States, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-104, re. S. 1464.
To require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to expand the
use of non-intrusive inspection systems at land ports of entry.
S. Rept. 118-105, re. S. 1822.
To require the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management to establish, or otherwise ensure the provision of,
a training program on artificial intelligence for Federal
management officials and supervisors, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-109, re. S. 1564.
To add the Consumer Product Safety Commission to the list
of agencies required to be represented on the PFAS interagency
working group. S. Rept. 118-112, re. S. 820.
To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to
expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace.
S. Rept. 118-115, re. S. 2219.
To require the Office of Management and Budget to consider
revising the Standard Occupational Classification system to
establish a separate code for direct support professionals, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-116, re. S. 1332.
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. 118-117, re. S. 2256.
To prohibit the procurement of certain items containing
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid
(PFOA) and prioritize the procurement of products not
containing PFAS. S. Rept. 118-118, re. S. 2283.
To establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-119, re. S. 2291.
To make data and internal guidance on excess personal
property publicly available, and for other purposes. S. Rept.
118-120, re. S. 2685.
To require 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. S. Rept. 118-123, re. S.
61.
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. 118-124,
re. S. 1798.
To require transparency in notices of funding opportunity,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-125, re. S. 2260.
To improve the effectiveness and performance of certain
Federal financial assistance programs, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-126, re. S. 2286.
To require agencies with working dog programs to implement
the recommendations of the Government Accountability Office
relating to the health and welfare of working dogs, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-137, re. S. 2414.
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. 118-157, re. S. 1258.
To require Facility Security Committees to respond to
security recommendations issued by the Federal Protective
Service relating to facility security, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-160, re. S. 3613.
To amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to
repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-161, re. S. 3648.
To require the development of a comprehensive rural
hospital cybersecurity workforce development strategy, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-170, re. S. 1560.
To require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency of the Department of Homeland Security to develop a
campaign program to raise awareness regarding the importance of
cybersecurity in the United States. S. Rept. 118-171, re. S.
1835.
To require the reduction of the reliance and expenditures
of the Federal Government on legacy information technology
systems, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-172, re. S. 2032.
To establish an Interagency Council on Service to promote
and strengthen opportunities for military service, national
service, and public service for all people of the United
States, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-173, re. S. 2150.
To amend title 5, United States Code, to increase death
gratuities and funeral allowances for Federal employees, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-174, re. S. 3029.
To establish a Government Spending Oversight Committee
within the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and
Efficiency, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-186, re. S.
4036.
To amend certain laws relating to disaster recovery and
relief with respect to the implementation of building codes,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-194, re. S. 5473.
To provide for a review and report on the assistance and
resources that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency provides to individuals with disabilities and
the families of such individuals that are impacted by major
disasters, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-195, re. S.
6249.
To ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are
protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a
reprisal, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-202, re. S.
1524.
To require executive branch employees to report certain
royalties, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-210, re. S.
3664.
To require governmentwide source code sharing, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-213, re. S. 3594.
To improve the effectiveness of body armor issued to female
agents and officers of the Department of Homeland Security, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-214, re. S. 4305.
To authorize the Joint Task Forces of the Department of
Homeland Security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-215,
re. S. 4698.
To establish the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers
Council, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers, and Artificial
Intelligence Governance Boards, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-216, re. S. 2293.
To improve the customer experience of the Federal
Government, ensure that Federal services are simple, seamless,
and secure, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-217, re. S.
2866.
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. 118-218,
re. S. 3071.
To amend title 11, District of Columbia Official Code, to
revise references in such title to individuals with
intellectual disabilities. S. Rept. 118-219, re. S. 3698.
To require the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management to take certain actions with respect to the health
insurance program carried out under chapter 89 of title 5,
United States Code, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-220,
re. S. 4035.
To amend section 7504 of title 31, United States Code, to
improve the single audit requirements. S. Rept. 118-226, re. S.
4716.
To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency to conduct an evaluation and submit to
Congress a report on ways to reduce the complexity of the cost
effectiveness requirements for hazard mitigation assistance,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-228, re. S. 3067.
To prohibit contracting with certain biotechnology
providers, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-229, re. S.
3558.
To improve the President's Cup Cybersecurity Competitions.
S. Rept. 118-234, re. S. 3635.
To amend title 44, United States Code, to reform the
management of Federal records, and for other purposes. S. Rept.
118-235, re. S. 4042.
To require the development of a workforce plan for the
Federal Emergency Management Agency. S. Rept. 118-236, re. S.
4181.
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to allow Indian tribal governments to
directly request fire management assistance declarations and
grants, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-237, re. S. 4654.
To require the National Cyber Director to submit to
Congress a plan to establish an institute within the Federal
Government to serve as a centralized resource and training
center for Federal cyber workforce development. S. Rept. 118-
238, re. S. 4715.
To improve the biodetection functions of the Department of
Homeland Security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-239,
re. S. 6174.
To clarify task and delivery order solicitation and
contract requirements. S. Rept. 118-242, re. S. 3626.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a
process to review applications for certain grants to purchase
equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable
national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-243, re. S. 3254.
To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service
hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and
competency-based hiring. S. Rept. 118-250, re. S. 59.
To establish Image Adjudicator and Supervisory Image
Adjudicator positions in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Office of Field Operations. S. Rept. 118-251, re. S. 2278.
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to improve
coordination between the Do Not Pay working system and Federal
and State agencies authorized to use the system. S. Rept. 118-
252, re. S. 2492.
To require the Science and Technology Directorate in the
Department of Homeland Security to develop greater capacity to
detect, identify, and disrupt illicit substances in very low
concentrations. S. Rept. 118-253, re. S. 4419.
To establish an interagency committee to harmonize
regulatory regimes in the United States relating to
cybersecurity, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-254, re. S.
4630.
To enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-255, re. S. 4676.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make
improvements to the Securing the Cities program, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-256, re. H.R. 4403.
To direct the Under Secretary for Management of the
Department of Homeland Security to assess contracts for covered
services performed by contractor personnel along the United
States land border with Mexico, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-257, re. H.R. 4467.
To require the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget conduct a review to determine the impact of the lowest
price technically acceptable source selection process on
national security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-258,
re. H.R. 5528.
To amend title 31, United States Code, to establish the
Life Sciences Research Security Board, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-264, re. S. 4667.
To sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of
Congress, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-265, re. S.
5093.
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. 118-266, re. S. 559.
To increase the pay and enhance the training of United
States Border Patrol agents, and for other purposes. S. Rept.
118-267, re. S. 1444.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide
explicit authority for the Secretary of Homeland Security and
the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency to work with international partners on cybersecurity,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-268, re. S. 1862.
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance
capabilities for outbound inspections at the southern land
border, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-269, re. S. 1897.
To require a pilot program on the use of big data analytics
to identify vessels evading sanctions and export controls and
to require a report on the availability in the United States of
emerging and foundational technologies subject to export
controls. S. Rept. 118-270, re. S. 2248.
To improve the cybersecurity of the Federal Government, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-271, re. S. 2251.
To improve border security through regular assessments and
evaluations of the Checkpoint Program Management Office and
effective training of U.S. Border Patrol agents regarding drug
seizures. S. Rept. 118-272, re. S. 2367.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enable secure
and trustworthy technology through other transaction
contracting authority. S. Rept. 118-273, re. S. 4024.
To provide for a pilot program to improve contracting
outcomes, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-274, re. S.
4055.
To establish a pilot program to assess the use of
technology to speed up and enhance the cargo inspection process
at land ports of entry along the border. S. Rept. 118-275, re.
S. 4062.
To improve Federal technology procurement, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-276, re. S. 4066.
To amend title 41, United States Code, to prohibit minimum
education requirements for proposed contractor personnel in
certain contract solicitations, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-277, re. S. 4631.
To amend title 5, United States Code, concerning
restrictions on the participation of certain Federal employees
in partisan political activity, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-278, re. S. 4656.
To require the Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to assess current efforts to respond to hazardous
weather and water events at or near United States borders and,
to the extent such efforts may be improved, to develop a
hazardous weather and water events preparedness and response
strategy, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-279, re. S.
4672.
To enhance the cybersecurity of the Healthcare and Public
Health Sector. S. Rept. 118-280, re. S. 4697.
To amend the Northern Border Security Review Act to require
updates to the northern border threat analysis and northern
border strategy, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-281, re.
S. 5092.
To require certain agencies to develop plans for internal
control in the event of an emergency or crisis, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-282, re. S. 5098.
To amend chapter 3 of title 5, United States Code, to
improve Government service delivery, and build related capacity
for the Federal Government, and for other purposes. S. Rept.
118-283, re. S. 5887.
To ensure that Federal agencies rely on the best reasonably
available scientific, technical, demographic, economic, and
statistical information and evidence to develop, issue or
inform the public of the nature and bases of Federal agency
rules and guidance, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-284,
re. S. 7219.
To amend title 40, United States Code, to require the
submission of reports on certain information technology
services funds to Congress before expenditures may be made, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-285, re. S. 7524.
To require the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget to issue guidance to agencies requiring special
districts to be recognized as local government for the purpose
of Federal financial assistance determinations. S. Rept. 118-
286, re. S. 7525.
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to negotiate
with the Government of Canada regarding an agreement for
integrated cross border aerial law enforcement operations, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-287, re. S. 4294.
To amend title 31, United States Code, to improve the
management of improper payments, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-288, re. S. 2924.
To ensure that Federal contractors comply with child labor
laws, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-289, re. S. 3139.
To increase the number of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection Customs and Border Protection officers and support
staff and to require reports that identify staffing,
infrastructure, and equipment needed to enhance security at
ports of entry. S. Rept. 118-290, re. S. 1253.
To enable safe, responsible, and agile procurement,
development, and use of artificial intelligence by the Federal
Government, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-291, re. S.
4495.
To amend title XLI of the FAST Act to improve the Federal
permitting process, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-292,
re. S. 4679.
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to include extreme heat in the
definition of a major disaster. S. Rept. 118-293, re. S. 4898.
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to incentivize certain preparedness
measures, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-294, re. S.
4900.
To prescribe requirements relating to the management of the
Federal property commonly known as Plum Island, New York, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-295, re. S. 5099.
To amend title 41, United States Code, to make changes with
respect to the Federal Acquisition Security Council, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-296, re. S. 5310.
To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to
develop a study regarding streamlining and consolidating
information collection and preliminary damage assessments, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-297, re. S. 255.
To amend title 31, United States Code, to authorize
transportation for Government astronauts returning from space
between their residence and various locations, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-298, re. S. 272.
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to
cover, for purposes of workers' compensation under such
chapter, services by physician assistants and nurse
practitioners provided to injured Federal workers, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-299, re. S. 131.
To establish and maintain a database within each agency for
executive branch ethics records of noncareer appointees. S.
Rept. 118-300, re. S. 2270.
To amend the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction
agreements are reported to USAspending.gov, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-301, re. S. 3926.
To modify the governmentwide financial management plan, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-302, re. S. 4700.
To require agencies to create consistent organizational
hierarchies, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-303, re. S.
5312.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a
DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-304, re. S. 3208.
To amend title 5, United States Code, to require an
Executive agency whose head is a member of the National
Security Council to notify the Executive Office of the
President, the Comptroller General of the United States, and
congressional leadership of such head becoming medically
incapacitated within 24 hours, and for other purposes. S. Rept.
118-305, re. S. 6972.
To amend section 206 of the E-Government Act of 2002 to
improve the integrity and management of mass comments and
computer-generated comments in the regulatory review process,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-306, re. S. 7528.
To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from
procuring certain foreign-made batteries, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-307, re. S. 8631.
To amend title 44, United States Code, to modernize the
Federal Register, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-308, re.
S. 9592.
To amend chapter 131 of title 5, United States Code, to
prevent Members of Congress and their spouses and dependent
children from trading stocks and owning stocks, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-309, re. S. 1171.
To provide for the creation of the missing Armed Forces and
civilian personnel Records Collection at the National Archives,
to require the expeditious public transmission to the Archivist
and public disclosure of missing Armed Forces and civilian
personnel records, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-310,
re. S. 2315.
To advance Federal Government innovation through the
implementation and use of multi-cloud computing software
technology, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-311, re. S.
2871.
To amend title 5, United States Code, to address telework
for Federal employees, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-
312, re. S. 3015.
To amend the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to require
the timely appointment of agency transition officials, to
ensure adequate performance and oversight of required
transition-related preparation, to require new guidance for
agencies and possible transition teams, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-313, re. S. 3654.
To prohibit conflict of interests among consulting firms
that simultaneously contract with the Government of the
People's Republic of China and the United States Government,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-314, re. S. 3810.
To amend title 5, United States Code, to make executive
agency telework policies transparent, to track executive agency
use of telework, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-315, re.
S. 4043.
To provide for congressional approval of national emergency
declarations. S. Rept. 118-316, re. S. 4373.
To require agencies to use information and communications
technology products obtained from original equipment
manufacturers or authorized resellers, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-317, re. S. 4651.
To ensure a timely, fair, meaningful, and transparent
process for individuals to seek redress because they were
wrongly identified as a threat under the screening and
inspection regimes used by the Department of Homeland Security,
to require a report on the effectiveness of enhanced screening
programs of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-318, re. S. 4681.
To limit the consideration of marijuana use when making an
employment suitability or security clearance determination, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-319, re. S. 4711.
To require Federal contractors to implement a vulnerability
disclosure policy consistent with NIST guidelines, and for
other purposes. S. Rept. 118-320, re. S. 5028.
To require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border
tunnel operations, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-322,
re. S. 5102.
To require a report by the Secretary of Homeland Security
regarding the failed assassination attempt on the life of
Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. S.
Rept. 118-323, re. S. 5105.
To amend section 3520A of title 44, United States Code, to
extend the Chief Data Officer Council's sunset and add new
authorities for improving Federal agency data governance,
including to enable reliable and secure adoption of emerging
technologies and artificial intelligence, and for other
purposes. S. Rept. 118-324, re. S. 5109.
To establish a tracker for Senate-confirmed executive
branch positions. S. Rept. 118-325, re. S. 5133.
To amend title 5, United States Code, to address the
responsibilities of the Administrator of General Services with
respect to Federal advisory committees, and for other purposes.
S. Rept. 118-326, re. S. 5302.
To improve section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. S. Rept. 118-327, re. S.
5313.
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance
border security by seeking to expand partnerships with
appropriate law enforcement entities in Mexico and Central
American and South American countries to combat human smuggling
and trafficking operations in Mexico and such countries, and
for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-328, re. S. 5315.
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to
conduct a review of the Homeland Security Information Network,
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-329, re. S. 5317.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the
Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the Department
of Homeland Security to conduct an annual audit of the
information systems and bulk data of the Office of Intelligence
and Analysis of the Department, and for other purposes. S.
Rept. 118-330, re. S. 5319.
To amend section 1078 of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2018 to increase the effectiveness of the
Technology Modernization Fund, and for other purposes. S. Rept.
118-332, re. H.R. 5527.
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a
prioritized policy issuance review process for the Department
of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-333,
re. H.R. 6231.
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a
plan to identify, integrate, and deploy new, innovative,
disruptive, or other emerging or advanced technologies to
enhance, or address capability gaps in, border security
operations, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-334, re. H.R.
7832.
To amend title 41, United States Code, and title 10, United
States Code, to provide best value through the multiple award
schedule program, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 118-335, re.
H.R. 9596.
COMMITTEE PRINTS
The Committee issued the following Committee Prints during
the 118th Congress:
Rules of Procedure. Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. (Printed. 38 pp. S. Prt. 118-6).
Rules of Procedure. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
(Printed. 19 pp. S. Prt. 118-7).
GAO REPORTS
Also during the 118th Congress, the Government
Accountability Office issued 170 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.
Veterans Benefits: VA Could Enhance Outreach For It's Solid
Start Program By Increasing Collaboration With Veterans
Organizations. GAO-23-105699. January 5, 2023.
U.S. Postal Service: Few Differences In On-Time Performance
Between Rural And Urban Areas. GAO-23-105169. January 12, 2023.
DOD Financial Management: Greater Attention And
Accountability Needed Over Government-Furnished Property. GAO-
23-105699. January 05, 2023.
Public Health Preparedness: HHS Could Improve Oversight Of
Research Involving Enhanced Potential Pandemic Pathogens. GAO-
23-105455. January 18, 2023.
COVID-19: HHS Funds Allocated To Support Disproportionately
Affected Communities. GAO-23-105500. February 24, 2023.
Capitol Attack: Federal Agencies Identified Some Threats,
But Did Not Fully Process And Share Information Prior To
January 6, 2021. GAO-23-104793SU. January 31, 2023.
Emergency Relief Funds: Significant Improvements Are Needed
To Address Fraud And Improper Payments. GAO-106556. February
01, 2023.
Pandemic Origins: Technologies, Challenges, And Policy
Options To Support Investigations. GAO-23-106562. February 01,
2023.
State Small Business Credit Initiative: Improved Planning
Could Help Treasury Limit Additional Delays. GAO-23-105293.
February 02, 2023.
Supply Chain Resilience: Agencies Are Taking Steps To
Expand Diplomatic Engagement And Coordinate With International
Partners. GAO-23-105534. February 02, 2023.
Money Market Mutual Funds: Pandemic Revealed Unresolved
Vulnerabilities. GAO-23-105535. February 02, 2023.
Public Health Preparedness: HHS Should Plan For Medical
Countermeasure Development And Manufacturing Risks. GAO-23-
105713. February 02, 2023.
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Time Frames To Complete
DHS Efforts Would Help Sector Risk Management Agencies
Implement Statutory Responsibilities. GAO-23-105806. February
07, 2023.
Unemployment Insurance: DOL Needs To Address Substantial
Pandemic UI Fraud And Reduce Persistent Risks. GAO-23-106586.
February 08, 2023.
Department Of Education: Additional Data Collection Would
Help Assess The Performance Of A Program Supporting College
Students With Disabilities. GAO-23-105551. February 15, 2023.
Financial Audit: FY 2022 And FY 2021 Consolidated Financial
Statements Of The U.S. Government. GAO-23-105837. February 16,
2023.
Data Center Optimization: Agencies Continue To Report
Progress. GAO-23-105946. February 27, 2023.
Capitol Attack: Federal Agencies Identified Some Threats,
But Did Not Fully Process And Share Information Prior To
January 6, 2021. GAO-23-106625. February 28, 2023.
2020 Census: A More Complete Lessons Learned Process For
Cost And Schedule Would Help The Next Decennial. GAO-23-105819.
March 02, 2023.
Drug Manufacturing: FDA Should Fully Assess Its Efforts To
Encourage Innovation. GAO-23-105650. March 10, 2023.
DHS Annual Assessment: Major Acquisition Programs Are
Generally Meeting Goals, But Cybersecurity Policy Needs
Clarification. GAO-23-105641SU. March 16, 2023.
COVID-19 In Nursing Homes: Experts Identified Actions Aimed
At Improving Infection Prevention And Control. GAO-23-105613.
March 20, 2023.
2022 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations On Compliance With
Requirements. GAO-23-105989. March 31, 2023.
Government Performance Management: Actions Needed To
Improve Transparency Of Cross-Agency Priority Goals. GAO-23-
106354. April 04, 2023.
High-Risk Series: Efforts Made To Achieve Progress Need To
Be Maintained And Expanded To Fully Address All Areas. GAO-23-
106674. April 20, 2023.
DHS Annual Assessment: Major Acquisition Programs Are
Generally Meeting Goals, But Cybersecurity Policy Needs
Clarification. GAO-23-106701. April 20, 2023.
Personnel Practices: OPM Can Improve Oversight And
Transparency Of Agencies' Hiring Of Political Appointees Into
Career Federal Positions. GAO-23-105066. April 27, 2023.
Grants Management: Observations On Challenges With Access,
Use, And Oversight. GAO-23-106797. May 02, 2023.
VA Healthcare: Office Of Rural Health Would Benefit From
Improved Communication And Developing Performance Goals. GAO-
23-105855. May 04, 2023.
Artificial Intelligence: Key Practices To Help Ensure
Accountability In Federal Use. GAO-23-106811. May 16, 2023.
COVID Relief: Fraud Schemes And Indicators In SBA Pandemic
Programs. GAO-23-105331. May 18, 2023.
F-35 Program: DOD Needs Better Accountability For Global
Spare Parts And Reporting Of Losses Worth Millions. GAO-23-
106098. May 23, 2023.
Government Performance Management: Leading Practices To
Enhance Interagency Collaboration And Address Crosscutting
Challenges. GAO-21-105520. May 24, 2023.
Information Technology: DHS Needs To Continue Addressing
Critical Legacy Systems. GAO-23-106853. May 31, 2023.
Federal Real Property: Lessons Learned From Setbacks In New
Sale And Transfer Process Could Benefit Future Disposal
Efforts. GAO-23-106848. June 08, 2023.
Congressional Award Foundation: Review Of The FY 2022
Financial Statement Audit. GAO-23-106672. June 08, 2023.
Federal Research: NIH Could Take Additional Actions To
Manage Risks Involving Foreign Subrecipients. GAO-23-106119.
June 14, 2023.
2023 Annual Report: Additional Opportunities To Reduce
Fragmentation, Overlap, And Duplication And Achieve Billions Of
Dollars In Financial Benefits. GAO-23-106089. June 14, 2023.
Government Efficiency And Effectiveness: Opportunities To
Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, And Duplication And Achieve
Billions Of Dollars In Financial Benefits. GAO-23-106864. June
14, 2023.
Meat And Poultry Worker Safety: OSHA Should Determine How
To Address Persistent Hazards Exacerbated By COVID-19. GAO-23-
105104. June 20, 2023.
DOD Bulk Fuel: Improved Management Over Transactions Could
Lead To More Reliable Financial Reporting. GAO-23-105531. June
22, 2023.
COVID-19: GAO Recommendations Can Help Federal Agencies
Better Prepare For Future Public Health Emergencies. GAO-23-
106554. July 11, 2023.
Evidence-Based Policymaking: Practices To Help Manage And
Assess The Results Of Federal Efforts. GAO-23-105460. July 12,
2023.
A Framework For Managing Improper Payments In Emergency
Assistance Programs. GAO-23-105876. July 13, 2023.
Federal Fleets: Zero-Emission Vehicle Implementation. GAO-
21-105350. July 19, 2023.
Open Matters For Congressional Consideration: Action Can
Produce Billions Of Dollars In Financial And Other Benefits For
The Nation. GAO-23-106837. July 25, 2023.
Transit Security: FEMA Should Improve Transparency Of Grant
Decisions. GAO-23-105956. July 26, 2023.
GSA Commercial Platforms Program: Opportunities Exist To
Improve Implementation. GAO-23-106128. July 26, 2023.
Leading Practices: Iterative Cycles Enable Rapid Delivery
Of Complex, Innovative Products. GAO-23-106222. July 27, 2023.
Cybersecurity Workforce: National Initiative Needs To
Better Assess Its Performance. GAO-23-105945. July 27, 2023.
Federal Buildings: Capital Access And Market Options Are
Key Challenges Facing GSA's Sustainability Efforts. GAO-23-
105905. September 07, 2023.
U.S. Assistance To Mexico: State Department Should Take
Steps To Assess Overall Progress. GAO-23-103795. September 12,
2023.
Biometric Identity System: DHS Needs To Address Significant
Shortcoming In Program Management And Privacy. GAO-23-105959.
September 12, 2023.
CARES Act: Experts Identified Safeguards To Help Selected
HHS Agencies Protect Against Potential Political Interference.
GAO-23-106529. September 14, 2023.
COVID-19: U.S. Territory Experiences Could Inform Future
Federal Relief. GAO-23-106050. September 19, 2023.
COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund: HRSA Continues To Recover
Remaining Payments Due From Providers. GAO-23-106083. September
21, 2023.
COVID-19: USAID Plans To Share Lessons Learned From Efforts
To Meet Global Vaccination Goal. GAO-23105579. September 27,
2023.
Credit Cards: Pandemic Assistance Likely Helped Reduce
Balances, And Credit Terms Varied Among Demographic Groups.
GAO-23-105269. September 29, 2023.
Antiviral Drugs: Economic Incentives And Strategies For
Pandemic Preparedness. GAO-23-105847. September 29, 2023.
Federal Contracting: Agencies Can Better Monitor E-Verify
Compliance. GAO-24-106219. October 03, 2023.
COVID-19 Relief: States' and Localities' Fiscal Recovery
Funds Spending As Of March 31, 2023. GAO-24-106753. October 11,
2023.
Public Health Preparedness: Building And Maintaining
Infrastructure Beyond The COVID-19 Pandemic. GAO-24-105891.
November 07, 2023.
Federal Spending Transparency: Opportunities To Improve
USASPENDING.GOV Data. GAO-24-106214. November 07, 2023.
Department of Homeland Security: Reporting On Border
Security Metrics Could Be Improved. GAO-24-106277. November 13,
2023.
COVID-19: Insights From Fraud Schemes And Federal Response
Efforts. GAO-24-106353. November 14, 2023.
COVID-19: Insights And Actions For Fraud Prevention. GAO-
24-107157. November 14, 2023.
COVID-19 Relief Funds: State Experiences Could Inform
Future Federal Relief Funding. GAO-24-106152. November 15,
2023.
Federal Real Property: Agencies Should Provide More
Information About Increases In Deferred Maintenance And Repair.
GAO-24-105485. November 16, 2023.
Federal Spending Transparency: Opportunities Exist To
Improve COVID-19 And Other Grant Subaward Data On
USASPENDING.GOV. GAO-24-106237. November 16, 2023.
Biodefense: National Biosurveillance Integration Center Has
Taken Steps To Address Challenges, But Could Better Assess
Results. GAO-24-106142. November 29, 2023.
Federal Facilities: Continued Oversight Of Security
Recommendations Needed. GAO-24-107137. November 29, 2023.
Cybersecurity: Federal Agencies Made Progress, But Need To
Fully Implement Incident Response Requirements. GAO-24-105658.
December 04, 2023.
Traveler Inspections: DHS Mechanisms To Help Prevent
Discrimination And Address Complaints. GAO-24-105383. December
12, 2023.
Technology Modernization Fund: Although Planned Amounts Are
Substantial, Projects Have Thus Far Achieved Minimal Savings.
GAO-24-106575. December 12, 2023.
Information Technology: Federal Agencies Are Making
Progress In Implementing GAO Recommendations. GAO-24-106693.
December 12, 2023.
COVID-19 Relief: Treasury Could Improve Its Administration
And Oversight Of State And Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. GAO-24-
106027. December 14, 2023.
Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Status Of Monitoring And
Main Street Lending Program. GAO-24-106482. December 22, 2023.
Cybersecurity: OMB Should Improve Information Security
Performance Metrics. GAO-24-106291. January 04, 2024.
Public Health Preparedness: HHS Emergency Agency Needs To
Strengthen Workforce Planning. GAO-24-106108. January 16, 2024.
Cloud Security: Federal Authorization Program Usage
Increasing, But Challenges need To Be Fully Addressed. GAO-24-
106591. January 18, 2024.
401(K) Plans: Additional Actions Would Help Participants
Track And Consolidate Their Retirement Savings. GAO-24-103577.
January 18, 2024.
U.S. Ports Of Entry: Update On CBP Public-Private
Partnerships. GAO-24-107058. January 24, 2024.
Paid Parental Leave: OPM Should Take Steps To Further Raise
Awareness Of The Program. GAO-24-106654. January 25, 2024.
Surface Transportation Threats: Better Communication With
Stakeholders Needed About The Security Clearance Process. GAO-
24-106382. February 07, 2024.
Department Of Homeland Security: Additional Actions Needed
To Improve Oversight Of Joint Task Forces. GAO-24-106855.
February 07, 2024.
Puerto Rico Disasters: Progress Made, But The Recovery
Continues To Face Challenges. GAO-24-105557. February 13, 2024.
DHS Employee Misconduct: Actions Needed To Better Assess
Differences In Supervisor And Non-Supervisor Discipline. GAO-
24-105820. February 14, 2024.
IRS Reform: Following Leading Practices And Improving Cost
Estimation Policies Could Benefit Agency Efforts. GAO-24-
106091. February 14, 2024.
Maternal Health: HHS Should Improve Assessment Of Efforts
To Address Worsening Outcomes. GAO-24-106271. February 21,
2024.
Aviation Security: Transportation Security Administration
Could Further Improve Officer Engagement. GAO-24-106052.
February 27, 2024.
Trusted Traveler Programs: DHS Has Enrollment Processes,
But CBP Should Provide Additional Information On
Reconsiderations. GAO-24-106314. February 28, 2024.
Federal Real Property: More Consistent Monitoring Of
Asbestos Could Improve Oversight. GAO-24-106324. March 04,
2024.
Cybersecurity: Improvements Needed In Addressing Risks To
Operational Technology. GAO-24-106576. March 07, 2024.
Wildfire Disasters: Opportunities To Improve Federal
Response, Recovery, And Mitigation Efforts. GAO-24-107382.
Commercial Aviation: Key Lessons From COVID-19 Preparedness
And Emergency Financial Assistance To The Industry. GAO-24-
106754. March 18, 2024.
Nuclear Terrorism Prevention: DHS Has Strengthened The
Securing The Cities Program, But Actions Are Needed to Address
Key Remaining Challenges. GAO-24-106922. March 20, 2024.
Border Security: Border Patrol's Missing Migrant Program.
GAO-24-107051. March 20, 2024.
Bureau Of Indian Education: Improved Oversight Of Schools'
COVID-19 Spending Is Needed. GAO-24-105451. March 20, 2024.
Ukraine: Status Of Foreign Assistance. GAO-24-106884. March
28, 2024.
2020 Census: The Bureau Adapted Approaches For Addressing
Unexpected Results And Developing Annual Population Estimates.
GAO-24-106594. April 01, 2024.
2023 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations On Compliance With
Requirements. GAO-24-106799.
COVID-19 Relief: State And Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
Spending As Of September 30, 2023 GAO-24-107472. April 10,
2024.
International Life Science: NSC Should Improve The
Assessment And Documentation Of National Security Review
Processes. GAO-24-105525C. April 18, 2024.
Cybersecurity: Implementation Of Executive Order
Requirements Is Essential To Address Key Actions. GAO-24-
106343. April 18, 2024.
Single Audits: Improving Federal Audit Clearinghouse
Information And Usability Could Strengthen Federal Award
Oversight. GAO-24-106173. April 22, 2024.
Biometric Identification Technologies: Considerations To
Address Information Gaps And Other Stakeholder Concerns. GAO-
24-106293. April 22, 2024.
IT Modernization: Census Bureau Needs Reliable Cost And
Schedule Estimates. GAO-24-106293. April 22, 2024.
Ukraine: Lessons From Other Conflicts Can Improve The
Results Of U.S. Recovery Assistance. GAO-24-107180. April 29,
2024.
Higher Education: Education Could Improve Information On
Accommodations For Students With Disabilities. GAO-24-105614.
April 30, 2024.
Ukraine: Status And Challenges Of DOD Weapon Replacement
Efforts. GAO-24-106649. April 30, 2024.
Public Health Preparedness: HHS Should Address Strategic
National Stockpile Coordination Challenges. GAO-24-106260. May
02, 2024.
Southwest Border: CBP Could Take Additional Steps To
Strengthen Its Response To Incidents Involving Its Personnel.
GAO-24-106148. May 13, 2024.
2024 Annual Report Additional Opportunities To Reduce
Fragmentation, Overlap, And Duplication And Achieve Billions Of
Dollars In Financial Benefits. GAO-24-106915. May 15, 2024.
Government Efficiency And Effectiveness: Opportunities To
Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, And Duplication And Achieve
Billions Of Dollars In Financial Benefits. GAO-24-107554. May
15, 2024.
Emergency Rental Assistance: Treasury Should Improve Data
Completeness And Public Reporting. GAO-24-107084. May 23, 2024.
Ukraine: Status And Use Of Supplemental U.S. Funding, As Of
First Quarter, Fiscal Year 2024. GAO-24-107232. May 30, 2024.
DOD Financial Management: Additional Steps Needed To Guide
Future Systems Transitions. GAO-24-106313. June 03, 2024.
Cybersecurity: Efforts Initiated To Harmonize Regulations,
But Significant Work Remains. GAO-24-107602. June 05, 2024.
DHS Hiring: Additional Actions Needed To Enhance Vetting
Processes Across The Department. GAO-24-106153. June 11, 2024.
State Small Business Credit Initiative: Treasury Made
Progress. GAO-24-106671. June 11, 2024.
Recommendations For Congress: Action Can Produce Billions
Of Dollars In Financial And Other Benefits. GAO-24-107261. June
12, 2024.
Congressional Award Foundation: Review Of The FY 2023
Financial Statement Audit. GAO-24-107420. June 13, 2024.
Federal Real Property: Efforts To Incorporate Climate
Vulnerabilities And Environmental Justice Into Asset
Management. GAO-24-106420. June 26, 2024.
Open GAO Recommendations: Financial Benefits Could Be
Between $106 Billion And $208 Billion. GAO-24-107146. July 11,
2024.
Medicaid: Federal Oversight Of State Eligibility
Redeterminations Should Reflect Lessons Learned After COVID-19.
GAO-24-106883. July 18, 2024.
Ukraine Assistance: Actions Needed To Properly Value
Defense Articles Provided Under Presidential Drawdown
Authority. GAO-24-106934. July 22, 2024.
Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Has Efforts
Underway To Implement Federal Incident Reporting Requirements.
GAO-24-106917. July 30, 2024.
Ukraine: DOD Could Strengthen International Military
Training Coordination By Improving Data Quality. GAO-24-
106964SU. July 30, 2024.
Human Trafficking: Agencies Need To Adopt A Systematic
Approach To Manage Risks In Contracts. GAO-24-106973. July 30,
2024.
Hospitals: Expanded Use Of Supplemental Nurses During The
COVID-19 Pandemic. GAO-24-106447. August 01, 2024.
COVID-19: Lessons Can Help Agencies Better Prepare For
Future Emergencies. GAO-24-107175. August 01, 2024.
Ukraine: U.S. Agencies Should Improve Tracking Of
Authorized U.S.-Origin Defense Article Transfers Requested By
Foreign Donors. GAO-24-106745. August 20, 2024.
Evidence-Based Policymaking: Agencies Need Additional
Guidance To Assess Their Capacity. GAO-24-106982. August 20,
2024.
Federal Real Property: Actions Needed To Better Assess
Office Sharing Pilot's Broader Applicability. GAO-24-106919.
September 11, 2024.
Child Care Accessibility: Agencies Can Further Coordinate
To Better Serve Families With Disabilities. GAO-24-106843.
September 12, 2024.
Supplemental Material For GAO-24-106843: Strengthening
Federal Government Coordination To Help Families With
Disabilities Access Child Care. GAO-24-107735. September 12,
2024.
Federal Contracting: Timely Actions Needed To Address Risks
Posed By Consultants Working For China. GAO-24-106932.
September 19, 2024.
Persistent Chemicals: Additional EPA Actions Could Help
Public Water Systems Address PFAS In Drinking Water. GAO-24-
106523. September 24, 2024.
Commercial Real Estate: Trends, Risks, And Federal
Monitoring Efforts. GAO-24-107282. September 24, 2024.
Federal Programs: OMB Needs A Structure To Govern And A
Plan To Develop A Comprehensive Inventory. GAO-24-107656.
September 25, 2024.
COVID-19 Relief: States' And Localities' Fiscal Recovery
Funds Spending As Of March 31, 2024. GAO-24-107301. September
26, 2024.
Ukraine: DOD Could Strengthen International Military
Training Coordination By Improving Data Quality. GAO-24-107776.
September 26, 2024.
Ukraine Funding: DOD Needs To Improve Its Reporting,
Guidance, And Evaluation Efforts. GAO-24-106763SU. September
30, 2024.
DOD Financial Management: Action Needed To Enhance
Workforce Planning. GAO-25-105286. October 10, 2024.
Status Update On 2022 National Biodefense Strategy. October
18, 2024.
Single Audits: Interior And Treasury Need To Improve Their
Oversight Of COVID-19 Relief Funds Provided To Tribal Entities.
GAO-25-106741. November 07, 2024.
Ukraine: DOD Can Take Additional Steps To Improve Its
Security Assistance Training. GAO-25-106773SU. November 07,
2024.
Whistleblower Protection: DOJ And FBI Need To Improve
Employees' Awareness Of Rights. GAO-25-106547. November 12,
2024.
Whistleblower Protection: Department Of Justice Office Of
The Inspector General Needs To Improve Awareness Of FBI
Employee Rights. GAO-25-107794. November 12, 2024.
Cloud Computing: Selected Agencies Need To Implement
Updated Guidance For Managing Restrictive Licenses. GAO-25-
107114. November 13, 2024.
COVID-19 Relief: SBA And DOL Should Improve Processes To
Identify And Recover Overpayments. GAO-25-106199. November 13,
2024.
Indian Affairs: Additional Actions Needed To Address Long-
Standing Challenges With Workforce Capacity. GAO-25-106825.
November 13, 2024.
U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement: Update On
Planning For Unit Of Native American Law Enforcement Personnel.
GAO-25-107644. November 18, 2024.
Information Technology: Government-Wide Guidance On
Handling Data Could Improve Civil Rights And Civil Liberties
Protections. GAO-25-106057. November 19, 2024.
2020 Census: Coverage Errors And Challenges Inform 2030
Plans. GAO-25-107160. November 21, 2024.
Future Of Cybersecurity: Leadership Needed To Fully Define
Quantum Threat Mitigation Strategy. GAO-25-107703. November 21,
2024.
Federal Telework: Selected Agencies Need To Evaluate The
Potential Effects On Agency Performance. GAO-25-106316.
November 22, 2024.
Export Controls: Commerce Implemented Advanced
Semiconductor Rules And Took Steps To Address Compliance
Challenges. GAO-25-107386. December 02, 2024.
Farm Loans: Status Of USDA Loan Debt Assistance For
Distressed Borrowers. GAO-25-107008. December 03, 2024.
Internet Of Things: Federal Actions Needed To Address
Legislative Requirements. GAO-25-107179. December 04, 2024.
Private Health Insurance: Premium Subsidy During COVID-19
Was Implemented Under Tight Timeline. GAO-25-107055. December
12, 2024.
Federal Vehicle Fleet: Efforts Are Underway To Facilitate
The Transition To Zero Emission Vehicles. GAO-25-106972.
December 17, 2024.
Wildfires: Additional Actions Needed To Address FEMA
Assistance Challenges. GAO-25-106862. December 18, 2024.
COVID-19: Information On HHS's Medical Countermeasures
Injury Compensation Program. GAO-25-107368. December 18, 2024.
Direct File: IRS Successfully Piloted Online Tax Filing But
Opportunities Exist To Expand Access. GAO-25-106933. December
19, 2024.
Illicit Finance: Treasury Should Monitor Partnerships And
Trusts For Future Risks. GAO-25-106955. December 19, 2024.
Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Nearly Half OF Main
Street Program Loans Are Fully Repaid, But Losses Have
Increased. GAO-25-107246. December 19, 2024.
Federal Data Centers: OMB Is Working To Issue Operational
Requirements (Briefing Document). December 19, 2024.
Immigration Courts: Actions Needed To Track And Report
Noncitizens' Hearing Appearances. GAO-25-106867. December 19,
2024.
VI. OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS
During the 118th Congress, 958 official communications were
referred to the Committee. Of these, 946 were Executive
Communications, and 12 were Petitions or Memorials. Of the
official communications, 383 dealt with the District of
Columbia.
VII. LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
During the 118th Congress, the Committee reported
significant legislation that was approved by Congress and
signed into law by the President.
The following are brief legislative histories of measures
referred to the Committee and, in some cases, drafted by the
Committee, which became public law. In addition to the measures
listed below, the Committee received during the 118th Congress
numerous legislative proposals that were 1) favorably reported
from the Committee and passed by the Senate, but did not become
law, 2) not considered or reported, or 3) reported but not
passed by the Senate. Additional information on these measures
appears in the Committee's Legislative Calendar for the 118th
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.J. Res. 26--Disapproving the action of the District of
Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of
2022. (Public Law 118-1). March 20, 2023.
This joint resolution nullifies the Revised Criminal Code
Act of 2022, enacted by the council of the District of Columbia
(DC). The act makes a variety of changes to DC criminal laws,
including by providing statutory definitions for various
elements of criminal offenses, modifying sentencing guidelines
and penalties, and expanding the right to a jury trial for
certain misdemeanor crimes.
S. 111--Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act
of 2023. (Public Law 118-28). July 25, 2023.
This act requires the notice of a proposed rule by a
federal agency to include the internet address of a summary of
the rule. The summary must be 100 words or fewer, written in
plain language, and posted on regulations.gov.
S. 206--Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating
Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of life
Act. (Public Law 118-43). March 18, 2024.
This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to
review and update, as necessary, manuals and policies related
to inspections at ports of entry to ensure the uniformity of
inspection practices to effectively detect illegal activity
along the border, such as the smuggling of drugs and humans.
S. 1858--Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act.
(Public Law 118-44). March 18, 2024.
This bill modifies the deadline for applying for disaster
unemployment assistance. Specifically, the bill matches the
deadline for an individual seeking unemployment assistance for
a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act to the application deadline for
individuals and households seeking other assistance under that
act. The bill authorizes an extension of that deadline if the
individual (1) has good cause for the late submission, and (2)
submits the application during the period when disaster
assistance is being provided.
S. 1973--All-American Flag Act. (Public Law 118-74). July
30, 2024.
This bill prohibits agencies from using funds to procure a
U.S. flag unless such flag has been manufactured in the United
States from materials that have been U.S. grown, produced, or
manufactured. The bill specifies exceptions to this
prohibition, including an exception if flags of satisfactory
quality and sufficient quantity cannot be procured as needed at
market prices.
S. 670--IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act. (Public Law 118-96).
October 01, 2024.
This bill establishes a program within U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to
provide outreach and training to HSI employees who have been
exposed to various forms of trauma in working with victims of
human trafficking. The bill also provides statutory authority
for the HSI Victim Assistance Program. The bill ceases to have
effect beginning October 1, 2030.
S. 679--GAO Database Modernization Act of 2023. (Public Law
118-25). October 01, 2024.
This act bill requires federal agencies to report to the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) certain information
about agency rules that are made ineffective due to an agency
action or other reason. The report must include (1) the title
of the rule; (2) the citation for the rule in the Federal
Register; (3) the date on which the rule was submitted to the
GAO; and (4) a description of the provisions of the rule that
are being revoked, suspended, replaced, amended, or otherwise
made ineffective. The act is effective for six years after the
date of enactment.
S. 794--CTPAT Pilot Program of 2023. (Public Law 118-98).
October 01, 2024.
This act requires the Department of Homeland Security to
carry out a pilot program that assesses whether allowing
certain entities to participate in the Customs Trade
Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) would enhance port
security, combat terrorism, prevent supply chain security
breaches, or otherwise meet the goals of CTPAT. Such entities
are (1) non-asset-based third-party logistics providers that
arrange international freight transportation and are licensed
by the Department of Transportation; or (2) asset-based third-
party logistics providers that facilitate cross-border
activity, are licensed or bonded by specified federal agencies,
and execute logistics services using their own warehousing
assets and resources. The act requires the Government
Accountability Office to report on the effectiveness of CTPAT.
S. 2685--Reuse Excess Property Act. (Public Law 118-99).
October 01, 2024.
This act requires the General Services Administration (GSA)
to make publicly available on the internet the data contained
in specified federal agency reports on excess personal
property. (Personal property is any property except real
property and includes vehicles, furniture, and office
equipment.) The act also requires federal agencies to make
public their internal guidance on using excess personal
property to meet agency needs. Such guidance must include
certain topics, such as (1) a requirement to consider excess
personal property before buying new, and (2) how to evaluate
the suitability of excess personal property for use. Federal
agencies must also provide this information to the GSA. These
provisions are repealed five years after the date of enactment.
S. 4698--DHS Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2024.
(Public Law 118-103). October 01, 2024.
This act extends through FY2026 the authority of the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish and operate
joint task forces (JTFs), which coordinate activities across
DHS's component organizations and with other government and
international partners. The act requires DHS to annually
provide Congress with (1) a staffing plan for each JTF; and (2)
a briefing on various aspects of JTF-East (which operates in
the southern maritime environment, including the Gulf of Mexico
and the Caribbean Sea, to combat transnational criminal
organizations and prepare for maritime mass migration events).
S. 1549--Congressional Budget Office Data Access Act.
(Public Law 118-104). October 02, 2024.
This act exempts the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) from
the Privacy Act of 1974 to expedite the sharing of data and
information between CBO and federal agencies. Under current
law, the Privacy Act of 1974 generally prohibits federal
agencies from disclosing certain records pertaining to an
individual without the individual's prior written consent. This
act allows federal agencies to disclose such records to CBO (or
to an authorized representative of CBO) without obtaining the
prior written consent of the individual. Several agencies,
including the Government Accountability Office and the National
Archives and Records Administration, are currently exempt from
these requirements, and this act adds CBO to the list of
exemptions.
H.R. 6249--Think Differently About Emergencies Act. (Public
Law 118-123). November 25, 2024.
This act requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report
to Congress regarding assistance and resources provided by FEMA
to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and
the families of such individuals who are impacted by major
disasters. Specifically, FEMA must report within 120 days of
this act's enactment, describing the assistance and resources
that FEMA provides to such individuals and families through
states, localities, nonprofit organizations, and individuals.
Further, FEMA and GAO must each (1) review such assistance and
resources, (2) identify potential legal impediments to
providing such assistance and resources, and (3) provide
recommendations to Congress.
S. 1510--GAO Inspector General Parity Act. (Public Law 118-
131). November 25, 2024.
This act makes changes to provisions relating to the
Inspector General (IG) of the Government Accountability Office
(GAO). Specifically, if the IG is removed from office or
transferred to another position or location within GAO, GAO
must communicate in writing the substantive rationale,
including detailed and case-specific reasons, for any such
removal or transfer to both chambers of Congress not later than
30 days before the removal or transfer. Only the Comptroller
General may place the IG on non-duty status, subject to
specified requirements. GAO must include the annual budget
request of the IG in the GAO budget without change. The IG
shall obtain legal advice from a counsel reporting directly to
the IG or another IG.
H.R. 5302--Michael O. Maceda Memorial Act. (Public Law 118-
139). December 11, 2024.
This bill designates the Air and Marine Operations Marine
Unit of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection located in Cabo
Rojo, Puerto Rico, as the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit.
H.R. 5799--James R. Dominguez Memorial Act of 2023. (Public
Law 118-141). December 11, 2024.
This act designates the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on
U.S. Highway 90 West in Uvalde County, Texas, as the James R.
Dominguez Border Patrol Checkpoint.
S. 310--Disaster Contract Improvement Act. (Public Law 118-
153). December 17, 2024.
This act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to establish an advisory working group to encourage and
foster collaborative efforts among individuals and entities
engaged in disaster recovery relating to debris removal. The
act requires (1) FEMA to conduct outreach to states, tribal
governments, and local governments with respect to any guidance
or support materials developed; and (2) the Government
Accountability Office to conduct a study that, among other
things, examines the use and adoption rate of advance contracts
for debris removal by states, tribal governments, and local
governments.
S. 3613--Improving Federal Building Security Act of 2024.
(Public Law 118-160). December 17, 2024.
This act requires Facility Security Committees to respond
to security recommendations issued by the Federal Protective
Service (FPS) regarding facility security. A Facility Security
Committee is a committee that (1) consists of representatives
of all federal tenants in a specific nonmilitary facility, the
security organization for the facility, and the owning or
leasing federal tenant; and (2) is responsible for addressing
facility-specific security issues and approving the
implementation of security measures and practices in the
facility. Not later than 90 days after the FPS issues a
security recommendation to a Facility Security Committee, that
committee must respond to the Department of Homeland Security
(1) indicating if the committee intends to adopt or reject the
recommendation; (2) describing the financial implications of
adopting or rejecting the recommendation, including if the
benefits outweigh the costs; and (3) providing DHS with a
justification, if it intends to reject the recommendation, for
accepting the risk posed by that rejection. DHS must (1)
develop a procedure to monitor the recommendations and
responses and take reasonable action to ensure Facility
Security Committee response; and (2) report to Congress 270
days after this act's enactment and annually thereafter
regarding such recommendations, responses, justifications for
rejected recommendations, and risk mitigation efforts. The
provisions of this act only apply to General Services
Administration (GSA) facilities under FPS protection and non-
GSA facilities that pay fees to the FPS for protection. This
act ceases to be effective five years after enactment.
H.R. 3254--First Responder Access to Innovative
Technologies Act. (Public Law 118-165). December 23, 2024.
This act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) to implement a uniform process for reviewing
applications for certain anti-terrorism grants to urban areas
and state, local, and tribal governments. Specifically, the
uniform review must be done for grant applications requesting
to purchase first responder equipment or systems that do not
meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus
standards.
H.R. 4467--DHS Border Services Contracts Review Act.
(Public Law 118-171). December 23, 2024.
This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
to assess contractor personnel performing services along the
U.S. land border with Mexico and plan to implement
recommendations developed from the assessment. Specifically,
DHS must report to Congress regarding active contracts with a
total value of $50 million or more relating to the procurement
of services along the border. The report must include, among
other things the criteria used by DHS to determine whether
contractor personnel were necessary to assist in carrying out
its mission along the border; an analysis of the purpose,
quantity, and location of contractor personnel addressing DHS
mission needs along the border and enhancing the capability of
DHS personnel to perform primary mission responsibilities; an
assessment of the benefits of contractor personnel performing
the services; a strategy to improve the procurement and
delivery of the services through contracts over a five-year
period; and recommendations based on the report's findings. DHS
must (1) submit with the report a plan to implement the
recommendations and strategy contained in such report to
enhance coordination, minimize overlap, and increase cost
effectiveness; and (2) brief Congress with respect to the
status of implementation.
H.R. 5301--Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2024. (Public
Law 118-172). December 23, 2024.
This act requires federal agencies to include a list of
outdated or duplicative reporting requirements and related
information in their annual budget justifications.
Specifically, the agencies must include a list of each
recurring plan or report submitted by the agency and specified
identifying information for the plans or reports. The agencies
must also identify any recurring plans or reports that are
outdated or duplicative. With respect to each recurring plan or
report that is outdated or duplicative, the agency must also
include a recommendation on whether to end, modify,
consolidate, or reduce the frequency of the report or plan; a
citation to each provision of law or directive in a
congressional report that requires or requests the submission
of the report or plan; a list of the relevant congressional
committees; and a justification that explains why the agency
made the recommendation and the agency's understanding of the
purpose of the plan or report. If a recurring plan or report is
required to be submitted by at least two federal agencies, the
act requires the Office of Management and Budget to (1)
determine whether the requirement to submit the recurring plan
or report is outdated or duplicative, and (2) make
recommendations to Congress accordingly.
H.R. 7524--GSA Technology Accountability Act. (Public Law
118-182). December 23, 2024.
This bill requires the General Services Administration to
report to Congress on projects funded by the Federal Citizen
Services Fund and the Acquisition Services Fund. The reports
must include various elements, such as a list of each project
funded along with an explanation of the project and its cost.
H.R. 8663--DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act of 2024.
(Public Law 118-186). December 23, 2024.
This act provides statutory authority for the Department of
Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate to take
certain actions to support the detection of drugs such as
fentanyl and xylazine. Specifically, the act provides statutory
authority for the directorate's research and development
efforts to improve drug detection equipment and reference
libraries for law enforcement agencies, including with respect
to portable equipment, equipment that can analyze complex
samples, and technology that uses artificial intelligence or
other techniques to detect new substances. The act additionally
requires the directorate to follow certain standards and rely
on certain information from the National Institute of Standards
and Technology and the Drug Enforcement Administration,
respectively, regarding these efforts.
S. 59--Chance to Compete Act of 2024. (Public Law 118-188).
December 23, 2024.
This bill requires federal agencies to use technical
assessments to fill most positions in the competitive service.
Under the bill, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must
develop and implement a plan for transitioning to using
technical assessments for hiring into competitive service
positions unless the hiring agency certifies that it is
impracticable. Technical assessments must be developed by
subject matter experts within each hiring agency and allow for
candidates to demonstrate job-related skills and knowledge;
however, they may not include an occupational questionnaire. An
agency may determine that the use of a technical assessment to
assess applicants for a position in the competitive service is
not practicable and, instead, use an occupational
questionnaire. (An occupational questionnaire is an evaluation
system in which applicants self-rate their training and
experience and that is commonly delivered through an automated
system such as USAJobs.) OPM must also study and report to
Congress regarding the feasibility of examining agencies
sharing technical assessments and the development of an online
platform to be used by the agencies. The OPM plan must be
provided to Congress within 18 months after the bill's
enactment and implemented within three years following the
bill's enactment. During the three-year period beginning on the
date of enactment of this bill, technical assessments must be
preferred by hiring agencies.
S. 709--Federal Agency Performance Act of 2024. (Public Law
118-190). December 23, 2024.
This bill addresses federal agency performance and
accountability. Specifically, the bill revises requirements
regarding strategic reviews of federal agencies' performance
goals and requires a Deputy Performance Improvement Officer to
support the Performance Improvement Officer. With respect to
strategic reviews, not less frequently than annually and
consistent with guidance issued by the Office of Management and
Budget, each agency must take specified actions, including for
each goal or objective established in the agency's strategic
plan, review the progress achieved toward the goal and the
likelihood that the agency will achieve the goal; identify any
risks or impediments that would decrease the likelihood that
the agency will achieve the goal; and for each goal at greatest
risk of not being achieved, identify prospects and strategies
for performance improvement. Additionally, the bill requires
that federal government priority goals (1) be updated and
revised not less frequently than during the first year of each
presidential term, (2) include plans for the successful
achievement of each goal within each single presidential term,
and (3) explicitly cite to any specific contents of the budget
that support the achievement of each goal. The Government
Accountability Office must report to Congress on the
effectiveness of this bill.
S. 932--No CORRUPTION Act. (Public Law 118-192). December
23, 2024.
This act makes a Member of Congress who has been convicted
of a crime related to public corruption ineligible to receive
retirement payments pursuant to the Civil Service Retirement
System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System based on
service as a Member. Under current law, a Member must forgo
receipt of these payments only after a final conviction (i.e.,
after the exhaustion of all appeals under the judicial
process).
S. 2414--Working Dog Health and Welfare Act of 2023.
(Public Law 118-195). December 23, 2024.
This bill requires federal agencies with working dog
programs, and contractors managing such programs, to implement
the recommendations of a Government Accountability Office
report titled Working Dogs: Federal Agencies Need to Better
Address Health and Welfare and published in October 2022.
Further, the Department of State must take steps to ensure that
donations of working dogs provided to foreign partners by the
State Department are executed and monitored according to those
recommendations.
S. 4716--Financial Management Risk Reduction Act. (Public
Law 118-207). December 23, 2024.
This bill increases federal oversight of single audits
submitted by certain recipients of federal awards (i.e.,
federal financial assistance, including grants, and federal
cost reimbursement contracts). A single audit is conducted by
an independent auditor and includes the financial statements
and federal awards of a non-federal entity. Specifically, the
bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to designate
one or more federal agencies to conduct a government-wide
analysis of single audit quality. Such government-wide analysis
must be completed within three years of the bill's enactment
and every six years thereafter. OMB must develop a strategy,
and the General Services Administration (GSA) must develop
analytic tools, to identify risks to federal award funds using
Federal Audit Clearinghouse data. Within four years of the
bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office must
evaluate several related topics, including (1) the
effectiveness of such strategy and analytic tools, and (2)
reporting burdens for auditors and audited entities.
H.R. 5887--Government Service Delivery Improvement Act.
(Public Law 118-231). December 4, 2025.
This bill increases federal oversight of single audits
submitted by certain recipients of federal awards (i.e.,
federal financial assistance, including grants, and federal
cost reimbursement contracts). A single audit is conducted by
an independent auditor and includes the financial statements
and federal awards of a non-federal entity. Specifically, the
bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to designate
one or more federal agencies to conduct a government-wide
analysis of single audit quality. Such government-wide analysis
must be completed within three years of the bill's enactment
and every six years thereafter. OMB must develop a strategy,
and the General Services Administration (GSA) must develop
analytic tools, to identify risks to federal award funds using
Federal Audit Clearinghouse data. Within four years of the
bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office must
evaluate several related topics, including (1) the
effectiveness of such strategy and analytic tools, and (2)
reporting burdens for auditors and audited entities.
H.R. 9592--Federal Register Modernization Act of 2024.
(Public Law 118-267). January 4, 2025.
This bill revises provisions regarding the Federal Register
and the Code of Federal Regulations, including to replace
requirements that the documents be printed with requirements
that the documents be published. The bill also eliminates the
requirement for federal agencies to provide duplicate originals
or certified copies of agency documents submitted for
publication in the Federal Register; specifies that a designee
of the President may fulfill certain functions, such as
approving regulations related to the publication of the Federal
Register prescribed by the Administrative Committee of the
Federal Register; and provides that in a continuity of
operations event in which the Government Publishing Office
(GPO) does not fulfill its publication requirements, the Office
of the Federal Register may establish an alternative method to
publish the Federal Register until such time that GPO resumes
publication.
B. POSTAL NAMING BILLS
H.R. 292--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 24355 Creekside Road in Santa
Clarita, California, as the ``William L. Reynolds Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-52). May 07, 2024.
H.R. 996--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 3901 MacArthur Blvd., in New Orleans,
Louisiana, as the ``Dr. Rudy Lombard Post Office''. (Public Law
118-53). May 07, 2024.
H.R. 2379--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 616 East Main Street in St. Charles,
Illinois, as the ``Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post
Office''. (Public Law 118-54). May 07, 2024.
H.R. 2754--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2395 East Del Mar Boulevard in
Laredo, Texas, as the ``Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza,
Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriquez & Sergeant Roberto
Arizola Jr. Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-66). May
07, 2024.
H.R. 3865--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 101 South 8th Street in Lebanon,
Pennsylvania, as the ``Lieutenant William D. Lebo Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-56). May 07, 2024.
H.R. 3944--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 120 West Church Street in Mount
Vernon, Georgia, as the ``Second Lieutenant Patrick Palmer
Calhoun Post Office''. (Public Law 118-57). May 07, 2024.
H.R. 3947--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 859 North State Road 21 in Melrose,
Florida, as the ``Pamela Jane Rock Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-58). May 07, 2024.
S. 3639--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2075 West Stadium Boulevard in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, as the ``Robert Hayden Post Office''. (Public
Law 118-100). October 01, 2024.
S. 3640--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 155 South Main Street in Mount
Clemens, Michigan, as the ``Lieutenant Colonel Alexander
Jefferson Post Office''. (Public Law 118-101). October 01,
2024.
S. 3851--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 90 McCamly Street South in Battle
Creek, Michigan, as the ``Sojourner Truth Post Office''.
(Public Law 118-102). October 01, 2024.
H.R. 599--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 3500 West 6th Street, Suite 103 in
Los Angeles, California, as the ``Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Post
Office''. (Public Law 118-108). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 1060--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1663 East Date Place in San
Bernardino, California, as the ``Dr. Margaret B. Hill Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-110). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 1098--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 50 East Derry Road in East Derry, New
Hampshire, as the ``Chief Edward B. Garone Post Office''.
(Public Law 118-111). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 3608--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 28081 Marguerite Parkway in Mission
Viejo, California, as the ``Major Megan McClung Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-112). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 3728--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 25 Dorchester Avenue, Room 1, in
Boston, Massachusetts, as the ``Caroline Chang Post Office''.
(Public Law 118-113). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 5476--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1077 River Road, Suite 1, in
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, as the ``Susan C. Barnhart
Post Office''. (Public Law 118-116). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 5640--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 12804 Chillicothe Road in
Chesterland, Ohio, as the ``Sgt. Wolfgang Kyle Weninger Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-118). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 5712--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 220 Fremont Street in Kiel,
Wisconsin, as the ``Trooper Trevor J. Casper Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-119). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 5985--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 517 Seagaze Drive in Oceanside,
California, as the ``Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-121). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 6073--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 9925 Bustleton Avenue in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``Sergeant Christopher David
Fitzgerald Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-122).
November 25, 2024.
H.R. 6651--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 603 West 3rd Street in Necedah,
Wisconsin, as the ``Sergeant Kenneth E. Murphy Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-125). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 7192--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 333 West Broadway in Anaheim,
California, as the ``Dr. William I. `Bill' Kott Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-126). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 7199--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at S74w16860 Janesville Road, in
Muskego, Wisconsin, as the ``Colonel Hans Christian Heg Post
Office''. (Public Law 118-127). November 25, 2024.
H.R. 7423--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 103 Benedette Street in Rayville,
Louisiana, as the ``Luke Letlow Post Office Building''. (Public
Law 118-129). November 25, 2024.
S. 2143--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 320 South 2nd Avenue in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota, as the ``Staff Sergeant Robb Lura Rolfing Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-132). November 25, 2024.
S. 2274--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 112 Wyoming Street in Shoshoni,
Wyoming, as the ``Dessie A. Bebout Post Office''. (Public Law
118-133). November 25, 2024.
S. 3627--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 410 Dakota Avenue South in Huron,
South Dakota, as the ``First Lieutenant Thomas Michael Martin
Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-135). November 25,
2024.
S. 3419--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1765 Camp Hill Bypass in Camp Hill,
Pennsylvania, as the ``John Charles Traub Post Office''.
(Public Law 118-136). November 25, 2024.
S. 3946--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1106 Main Street in Bastrop, Texas,
as the ``Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office''. (Public
Law 118-201). December 23, 2024.
S. 4077--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco,
California, as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office''. (Public
Law 118-204). December 23, 2024.
H.R. 1555--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2300 Sylvan Avenue in Modesto,
California, as the ``Corporal Michael D. Anderson Jr. Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-211). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 1823--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 207 East Fort Dade Avenue in
Brooksville, Florida, as the ``Specialist Justin Dean Coleman
Memorial Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-212). January
2, 2025.
H.R. 3354--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 220 North Hatcher Avenue in
Purcellville, Virginia, as the ``Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-213). January
2, 2025.
H.R. 5867--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 109 Live Oaks Boulevard in
Casselberry, Florida, as the ``Colonel Joseph William Kittinger
II Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-216). January 2,
2025.
H.R. 6116--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 14280 South Military Trail in Delray
Beach, Florida, as the ``Benjamin Berell Ferencz Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-217). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6162--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 379 North Oates Street in Dothan,
Alabama, as the ``LaBruce `Bruce' Tidwell Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-218). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6188--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 420 Highway 17 North in Surfside
Beach, South Carolina, as the ``Nancy Yount Childs Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-219). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6244--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1535 East Los Ebanos Boulevard in
Brownsville, Texas, as the ``1st Lieutenant Andres Zermeno Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-220). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6633--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 9355 113th Street in Seminole,
Florida, as the ``Army SSG Ryan Christian Knauss Memorial Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-221). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6750--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 501 Mercer Street Southwest in
Wilson, North Carolina, as the ``Milton F. Fitch, Sr. Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-222). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6810--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 518 North Ridgewood Drive in Sebring,
Florida, as the ``U.S. Army Air Corps Major Thomas B. McGuire
Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-223). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 6983--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 15 South Valdosta Road in Lakeland,
Georgia, as the ``Nell Patten Rocquemore Post Office''. (Public
Law 118-224). January 2, 2025.
H.R. 7158--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 201 East Battles Road in Santa Maria,
California, as the ``Larry Lavagnino Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-236). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7180--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 80 1st Street in Kingsland, Arkansas,
as the ``Kingsland `Johnny Cash' Post Office''. (Public Law
118-237). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7385--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 29 Franklin Street in Petersburg,
Virginia, as the ``John Mercer Langston Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-239). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7417--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 135 West Spring Street in Titusville,
Pennsylvania, as the ``Edwin L. Drake Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-240). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7507--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 203 East 6th Street in Lexington,
Nebraska, as the ``William E. and Elsie L. Barrett Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-241). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7508--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1285 Emancipation Highway in
Fredericksburg, Virginia, as the ``Gladys P. Todd Post
Office''. (Public Law 118-242). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7606--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1087 Route 47 South in Rio Grande,
New Jersey, as the ``Carlton H. Hand Post Office''. (Public Law
118-243). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 7607--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at Block 1025, Lots 18 & 19, Northeast
Corner of US Route 9 South and Main Street in the Township of
Middle, County of Cape May New Jersey, as the ``George Henry
White Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-244). January 4,
2025.
H.R. 7893--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 306 Pickens Street in Marion,
Alabama, as the ``Albert Turner, Sr. Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-245). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8057--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 9317 Bolsa Avenue in Westminster,
California, as the ``Little Saigon Vietnam War Veterans
Memorial Post Office''. (Public Law 118-248). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8641--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 401 Main Street in Brawley,
California, as the ``Walter Francis Ulloa Memorial Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-249). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8717--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 20 West Main Street in Santaquin,
Utah, as the ``STG Bill Hooser Post Office Building''. (Public
Law 118-252). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8841--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 114 Center Street East in Roseau,
Minnesota, as the ``Floyd B. Olson Post Office''. (Public Law
118-253). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8868--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 609 Portsmouth Avenue in Greenland,
New Hampshire, as the ``Chief Michael Maloney Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-254). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8909--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 82-6110 Mamalahoa Highway in Captain
Cook, Hawaii, as the ``Army 1st Lt. John Kuulei Kauhaihao Post
Office Building''. (Public Law 118-255). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8919--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 151 Highway 74 South in Peachtree
City, Georgia, as the ``SFC Shawn McCloskey Post Office''.
(Public Law 118-256). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 8976--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 20 West White Street in Millstadt,
Illinois, as the ``Corporal Matthew A. Wyatt Post Office''.
(Public Law 118-257). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9285--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 3913 Leland Avenue Northwest in
Comstock Park, Michigan, as the ``Captain Miguel Justin Nava
Post Office''. (Public Law 118-260). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9322--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 675 Wolf Ledges Parkway in Akron,
Ohio, as the ``Judge James R. Williams Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-261). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9421--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 108 North Main Street in Bucoda,
Washington, as the ``Mayor Rob Gordon Post Office''. (Public
Law 118-262). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9544--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 340 South Loudon Avenue in Baltimore,
Maryland, as the ``United States Representative Elijah E.
Cummings Post Office Building''. (Public Law 118-264). January
4, 2025.
H.R. 9549--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 125 South 1st Avenue in Hillsboro,
Oregon, as the ``Elizabeth Furse Post Office Building''.
(Public Law 118-265). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9580--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2777 Brentwood Road in Raleigh, North
Carolina, as the ``Millie Dunn Veasey Post Office''. (Public
Law 118-266). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9600--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 119 Main Street in Plains, Georgia,
as the ``Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office''. (Public Law
118-268). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 9775--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 119 North Anderson Street in Elwood,
Indiana, as the ``Officer Noah Jacob Shahnavaz Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-269). January 4, 2025.
H.R. 10065--To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 119 North Anderson Street in Elwood,
Indiana, as the ``Officer Noah Jacob Shahnavaz Post Office
Building''. (Public Law 118-269). January 4, 2024.
VIII. ACTIVITIES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES
PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS
Chairman: Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Ranking Minority Member: Ron Johnson (R-WI)
The following is the Activity Report of the Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations for the 118th 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, antedate its creation,
as 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 thirteen Chairs: 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); Jon
Ossoff of Georgia (2021-2023); and Richard Blumenthal of
Connecticut (2023-2025).
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 more
than 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 waste, fraud, abuse,
and mismanagement in the Executive Branch, to campaign finance,
labor relations, public order, financial misconduct,
commodities speculation, predatory lending, tax evasion, and
improper foreign influence in the United States. 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 and health care fraud to
sexual assault in the U.S. Coast Guard. The Subcommittee has a
storied history of conducting many of these investigations in a
bipartisan fashion.
(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 and led to the 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, 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 leadership, 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 Chair
until June 2001, when the Senate majority changed hands; at
that point, Senator Levin assumed the Chair 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 became Chair, 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 Chair of the full Committee on Governmental
Affairs, and Republican Senator Norman Coleman of Minnesota
became Chair 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 Chair, 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 cheated 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 Chair, 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, preventing foreign
corruption in the United States, and Social Security disability
fraud.
During the 112th Congress, Senator Levin and Senator Coburn
continued in their respective roles as Chair 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
Chair, 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 Chair with Senator Claire McCaskill serving as
Ranking Minority Member. This marked the first simultaneous
change in the Subcommittee's Chair and Ranking Minority Member.
Under their 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 merger 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.
During the 115th Congress, Senator Portman continued as
Chair while Senator Tom Carper became the Subcommittee's
Ranking Minority Member. Under the Chair 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.
(2) Recent Investigations
During the 116th Congress, Senator Portman again served as
Subcommittee Chair 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, the Department of Health and Human
Services (``HHS'') shelter grants for Unaccompanied Alien
Children (``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 the 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 the larger Senate
community standardized the practices for virtual and hybrid
hearings across the Senate.
In the 117th Congress, Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from
Georgia, assumed the Chair of the Subcommittee, becoming only
the third freshman Senator to lead the Subcommittee, after
Senator Susan Collins (in the 105th Congress) and Senator Norm
Coleman (in the 108th Congress). Senator Ron Johnson of
Wisconsin became Ranking Minority Member, resulting in a
simultaneous change in both the Chair and Ranking Minority
Member of the Subcommittee. Under the leadership of Chair
Ossoff, the Subcommittee held five hearings and issued four
reports on a wide range of issues, focusing primarily on
conditions in privatized military housing, abuse and
mistreatment of women in detention, and poor conditions in
federal prisons.
In the 118th Congress, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a
Democrat from Connecticut, assumed the Chairmanship of the
Subcommittee and Senator Johnson continued his tenure as
Ranking Minority Member. Under Senator Blumenthal's leadership,
the Subcommittee held fifteen hearings and released fourteen
reports on a wide range of topics, including denials of prior
authorization or payment requests in the Medicare Advantage
program, the facilitation of foreign influence in the United
States by American consulting firms; the U.S. Coast Guard's
coverup of an internal investigation into sexual assault at the
Coast Guard Academy known as ``Operation Fouled Anchor'';
Russia's evasion of sanctions and export controls, implemented
in the wake of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the U.S.
technology found in Russian weapons systems; evidence of safety
risks in the Boeing Company's 737, 777, and 787 airplanes;
failure by the peer-to-peer payment platform Zelle, and three
of the largest banks that own it, to adequately protect
customers from widespread fraud; and the deceptive practices of
major airlines in imposing hidden ``junk fees'' on customers.
Additionally, in the wake of the July 13, 2024, attempted
assassination of then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump, the
Permanent Subcommittee conducted a joint, bipartisan
investigation with the full Committee into the failures of the
U.S. Secret Service (``USSS''), which resulted in the release
of an Interim Joint Report on September 25, 2024. The
Subcommittee's Majority and Minority staff both contributed
substantially to the investigation which revealed failures of
planning, communication, and coordination at USSS.
II. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS DURING THE 118TH
CONGRESS
A. Examining Health Care Denials and Delays in Medicare Advantage.
May 17, 2023. (S. Hrg. 118-144).
The Subcommittee's first hearing of the 118th Congress
examined whether insurers operating Medicare Advantage plans
have improperly denied payment or prior authorization for
health services and launched a bipartisan inquiry into those
practices. The hearing reviewed information demonstrating how
some individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage have faced
barriers accessing necessary care and how automated technology
appears to be playing a role in coverage determinations.
The hearing presented non-partisan analysis from the Kaiser
Family Foundation (``KFF'') as well as findings from the
Department of Health and Human Services (``HHS'') Office of
Inspector General (``OIG''). Both analyses showed that Medicare
Advantage enrollees who appeal the denials of care
overwhelmingly prevail upon appeal. This evidence also showed
that only a small number of enrollees actually appeal the
denials they receive. According to evidence presented by HHS
OIG, some of these denials of care were for services that
should have been covered under existing rules. The hearing also
presented first person testimony on the impact of the appeals
process on families of Medicare Advantage enrollees. Finally,
the hearing examined whether insurance companies rely on
algorithms--rather than doctors or health professionals--to
make the decisions to deny patients care.
This hearing demonstrated the need for the Subcommittee's
further efforts to understand the coverage decisions of
Medicare Advantage insurers.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including Megan
H. Tinker, Chief of Staff, OIG, HHS; Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek,
Associate Director, Program on Medicare Policy, KFF; Christine
Jensen Huberty, Lead Benefit Specialist Supervising Attorney,
Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources; Lisa M. Grabert,
Visiting Research Professor, Marquette University College of
Nursing; and Gloria Bent, Widow of Gary Bent, Medicare
Advantage Enrollee.
B. The PGA-LIV Deal: Implications for the Future of Golf and Saudi
Arabia's Influence in the United States. July 11, 2023. (S.
Hrg. 118-165).
The Subcommittee's second hearing examined the
circumstances surrounding the PGA Tour's unexpected agreement,
announced June 6, 2023, to combine its commercial golf assets
with those of the Public Investment Fund (``PIF''), Saudi
Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. The hearing also sought
information regarding the PGA Tour's stated intent to preserve
its tax-exempt 501(c)(6) status following the Framework
Agreement. The hearing was prompted by concerns of Subcommittee
members that PIF may use its tremendous financial resources to
control the sport of golf, distract from Saudi Arabia's human
rights abuses, and exercise malign foreign influence over
important American institutions.
The hearing included a contemporaneously published
memorandum by the Subcommittee's Majority Staff which detailed
several interim findings. These findings were based on
documents produced by the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in response to
the Subcommittee's bipartisan request for documents and
information. The documents and hearing testimony from two
prominent PGA Tour officers revealed that the Framework
Agreement was reached hastily and in secret, without input from
players, officers, and other key stakeholders, such as the
families of 9/11 victims. The evidence also showed that PIF's
investment would exceed $1 billion and result in PIF's
Governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, holding strong influence over the
future of golf. The hearing included attempts by Subcommittee
members to elicit commitments from the PGA Tour's witnesses
that any definitive agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF
would not restrict freedom of speech or expression.
The hearing revealed important information about the PGA
Tour and PIF's Framework Agreement while demonstrating the need
for further inquiry into the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth
fund and the potential for malign foreign influence in the
United States.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including Ron
Price, Chief Operation Officer, PGA TOUR and Jimmy Dunne, Board
Member, PGA TOUR.
C. The PGA Tour-LIV Deal: Examining the Saudi Arabian Public Investment
Fund's Investments in the United States. September 13, 2023.
(S. Hrg. 118-172).
The Subcommittee's third hearing examined the Public
Investment Fund (``PIF'') of Saudi Arabia and its investments
in the United States, with a focus on PIF's planned agreement
to merge the assets of its professional golf league, LIV Golf,
with those of the PGA Tour. The hearing was prompted by a range
of concerns surrounding PIF's rapidly expanding commercial
footprint in the U.S., including the lack of transparency about
the fund's investments, PIF's refusal to voluntarily cooperate
with the Subcommittee's inquiry, and the risk that foreign
sovereign wealth funds or other state-owned enterprises could
use U.S. investments to exert malign influence over American
institutions.
The Chair entered into the hearing record a
contemporaneously published subpoena to PIF's U.S. subsidiary,
USSA International LLC, for documents related to PIF's U.S.
investments and a memorandum from the Chair to members of the
Subcommittee outlining the reasons for issuing the subpoena.
The hearing highlighted existing loopholes in U.S. law, which
leave commercial investments by foreign governments mostly in
the shadows. Hearing testimony by three expert witnesses
described the extent to which Saudi Arabia may be attempting to
exploit these loopholes to shield its transactions from public
view while aggressively pursuing its goal of controlling $2
trillion in global assets by 2030, and how other foreign
nations could pursue similar efforts. Witness testimony also
highlighted Saudi Arabia's troubling human rights record and
described the ways in which PIF itself has participated in
Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses.
The hearing revealed concerning information about PIF's
success in accumulating commercial influence in the U.S. and
underscored the pressing need to further investigate the fund
and its intentions. The hearing also demonstrated the
shortcomings in U.S. law related to commercial investment by
foreign states and the ways in which hostile foreign actors may
exploit them.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including
Benjamin Freeman, Ph.D., Director, Democratizing Foreign Policy
Program, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Brian
Murphy, Ph.D., Managing Director, Logically AI Inc.; and Joey
Shea, Researcher, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, Human
Rights Watch.
D. Coast Guard Academy Whistleblowers: Stories of Sexual Assault and
Harassment. December 12, 2023. (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
On December 12, 2023, the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations held a hearing on sexual assault and sexual
harassment at the United States Coast Guard Academy. This
hearing followed the launch of a bipartisan inquiry on
September 12, 2023, into the Coast Guard's alleged mishandling
of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases at the Coast
Guard Academy. The Subcommittee's inquiry was prompted by the
Coast Guard's disclosure of an investigation called ``Operation
Fouled Anchor,'' which looked at instances of sexual assault at
the Coast Guard Academy over a period of nearly two decades and
found that the Academy failed to create a culture that deterred
sexual misconduct, adequately prosecuted perpetrators, and
provided support for victims. Since launching its inquiry, the
Subcommittee received outreach from numerous whistleblowers who
recounted their experiences of sexual assault and sexual
harassment at the Coast Guard Academy and within the Coast
Guard, as well as the Coast Guard's handling of those cases.
The Subcommittee heard from four current and former Coast
Guard Academy cadets, who presented testimony describing how
the Coast Guard enabled a culture that tolerated sexual
misconduct and inhibited survivors' ability to report and
recover. Witnesses testified that, in some instances, the
mishandling of their cases led to mental health struggles,
suicide attempts, tarnished or lost relationships, or the
decision to leave the Academy. The Subcommittee also heard from
an expert who explained that the Coast Guard's mishandling of
sexual misconduct can create national security risks, and who
emphasized the need for accountability to be a part of the
solution to this sustained problem.
The testimony provided during the hearing demonstrated that
the Coast Guard's culture allowed sexual assault and sexual
harassment to persist, both at the Academy and in the Coast
Guard, for decades. The hearing exhibited the need for further
inquiry into the handling of sexual misconduct cases at the
Coast Guard Academy.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including
Commander Jennifer L. Yount, USCG, Ret., United States Coast
Guard Academy, Class of 1981; Caitlin E. Maro, Former Member of
United States Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2008; Lieutenant
Melissa McCafferty, United States Coast Guard Academy, Class of
2011; First Class Kyra Grace Holmstrup, United States Coast
Guard Academy, Class of 2024; and Colonel Lorry M. Fenner,
USAF, Ret., Director of Government Affairs, Service Women's
Action Network.
E. Foreign Influence in the United States: Reviewing Boston Consulting
Group, McKinsey & Company, M. Klein and Company, and Teneo's
Compliance with Congressional Subpoenas. February 6, 2024. (S.
Hrg. 118-XXX).
The Subcommittee's hearing elicited testimony from four
U.S. consultants for the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund
(the ``PIF'') regarding their work for the PIF and their
compliance with a Congressional subpoena. The hearing took
place as part of the Subcommittee's investigation into Saudi
Arabia's influence in the United States through the extensive
investments made by the PIF, including but not limited to the
PIF's investments in U.S. golf. The four consultants, Boston
Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, M. Klein and Company, and
Teneo (collectively, ``the PIF Consultants''), are all U.S.-
based companies that have been publicly reported as having
worked for the PIF. The Subcommittee made requests to each of
the PIF Consultants for records related to their work for the
PIF on August 16, 2023, and all of the PIF Consultants refused
to voluntarily comply with the Subcommittee's requests. On
November 2, 2023, the Subcommittee issued subpoenas to the PIF
Consultants requesting records related to the PIF's strategic
investments in the U.S., and the work each company did on
behalf of the PIF. After these subpoenas were issued, the PIF
sought and was granted temporary injunctions in a Saudi Arabia
Administrative Court to prevent the PIF Consultants from
complying with the Congressional subpoena. Citing the
injunction and their contracts with the PIF, the PIF
Consultants refused to fully comply with the Subcommittee's
subpoena.
The hearing solicited information from each of the
consultants regarding the work performed by the PIF and
addressed the implications of their respective decisions to
defer to a foreign court over U.S. law. The PIF Consultants
admitted to providing documents to the Subcommittee only after
they received authorization to do so by the PIF, and only to
the extent permitted by the PIF, indicating prioritization of
the preferences of the PIF, and the laws of Saudi Arabia, over
the United States. Subcommittee Members elicited commitments by
the PIF Consultants to comply with the subpoena and to appear
before the Subcommittee for further questions as necessary.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including Rich
Lesser, Global Chair, Boston Consulting Group; Bob Sternfels,
Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company; Michael Klein,
Managing Partner, M. Klein & Company; Paul Keary, Chief
Executive Officer, Teneo.
F. The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War in Ukraine: How and Why.
February 27, 2024 (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
The Subcommittee's hearing examined how American-
manufactured semiconductors continue to be found in weapons
used by Russia in its war against Ukraine, despite a series of
U.S. export controls implemented in response to Russia's
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. During the hearing, three
expert witnesses testified regarding the evidence that U.S.-
manufactured products are continuing to reach Russia in
violation of export controls, how Russia obtains and uses these
components, and the implications of export control violations.
The hearing addressed what additional steps American
manufacturers need to take to ensure that their products do not
end up in Russia. Witnesses provided testimony stating that
tools and technology exist that companies could utilize to
track the semiconductor supply chain, and that improved
corporate compliance programs and coordination with regulators
is needed. Prior to the hearing, the Subcommittee shared a
memorandum with Members, which the Chair entered into the
record, which demonstrated that exports from four U.S.
semiconductor manufacturers (Advanced Micro Devices Inc.,
Analog Devices Inc., Intel Corporation, and Texas Instruments
Inc.) to entities in countries bordering Russia (including
Armenia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) had
increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The hearing
demonstrated the need for further inquiry into the
manufacturers whose products continue to be found in Russian
weapons systems.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including Elina
Ribakova, Director of The International Affairs Program and
Vice President for Foreign Policy, Kyiv School of Economics;
James Byrne, Director, Open-Source Intelligence and Analysis
Research Group Royal United Services Institute; Damien
Spleeters, Deputy Director of Operations, Conflict Armament
Research.
G. Examining Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts. April
17, 2024. (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
On April 17, 2024, the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations held a hearing with whistleblowers alleging
manufacturing deficiencies at The Boeing Company. This hearing
was held as part of an inquiry launched on March 19, 2024,
after the Subcommittee became aware that whistleblowers had
raised safety concerns relating to the manufacturing of Boeing
787 and 777 aircraft. A current Boeing Quality Engineer
testified regarding his concerns with the manufacturing of
these aircraft and about the retaliation he experienced after
sharing his concerns with his supervisors.
A former Boeing engineer, as well as a former Boeing and
FAA employee, testified regarding their knowledge of Boeing's
manufacturing processes and experiences speaking up in the wake
of two crashes of Boeing 737 MAX airplanes in 2018 and 2019
that killed 346 people. An expert in organizational safety
culture also testified about safety principles and what
airplane manufacturers like Boeing must do to ensure a healthy
safety culture.
Witnesses also answered questions about how to empower
whistleblowers, and about the relationship between Boeing and
the FAA. The hearing addressed serious allegations of
manufacturing deficiencies at Boeing, highlighting the need for
further inquiry into the company's production processes and
safety culture.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including Sam
Salehpour, Current Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company; Ed
Pierson, Executive Director, The Foundation for Aviation
Safety, and Former Boeing Manager; Joe Jacobsen, Aerospace
Engineer and Technical Advisor, the Foundation for Aviation
Safety, and Former FAA Engineer, Shawn Pruchnicki, Ph.D,
Professional Practice Assistant Professor, Integrated Systems
Engineering, The Ohio State University.
H. Fraud Alert!: Shedding Light on Zelle. May 21, 2024. (S. Hrg. 118-
XXX).
The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation held a hearing
on May 21, 2024, to examine fraud experienced by consumers
using Zelle, the largest peer-to-peer payment (P2P) service in
the United States. The hearing was held as part of an ongoing
investigation into Zelle and the largest of the seven banks
that own it and was prompted by concerns raised to the
Subcommittee of consumers falling victim to fraud and scams on
Zelle. The hearing sought information on why consumers are
often not reimbursed by their banks after submitting fraud
claims.
The Subcommittee heard testimony from two individuals who
personally experienced scams on Zelle, as well as from two
experts in consumer payments, who highlighted the heightened
rates of fraud on Zelle. Expert witnesses testified that Zelle
poses unique risks to consumers due to limited information
available regarding their rights and protections for
unauthorized transactions, customer service support that is
split between Zelle and participating banks, and vulnerable
authorization safeguards.
The hearing revealed important information on the
sophisticated nature of fraud and scams being perpetrated on
Zelle, the types of consumers that are commonly targeted, the
risks consumers face, and the banks' failures to reimburse
customers who are victims of scams. The hearing demonstrated
the need for further inquiry into accountability on Zelle and
for increased safeguards to protect customers from the harmful
effects of fraud and scams on platforms like Zelle.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including
Stephanie Tatar, Founding Attorney, Tatar Law Firm; Ariana
Duval, Student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University, Experienced Scam on Zelle; John Breyault,
Vice President, Public Policy--Telecommunications and Fraud,
National Consumers League; Anne Humphreys, Retiree, Experienced
Scam on Zelle; Delicia Hand, Senior Director--Digital
Marketplace; Consumer Reports.
I. Coast Guard Oversight: Sexual Assault and Harassment. June 11, 2024.
(S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
On June 11, 2024, the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations held a hearing as part of its ongoing inquiry
into sexual assault and sexual harassment in the United States
Coast Guard. The hearing featured testimony from Commandant of
the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan. Admiral Fagan was
accompanied in her testimony by Master Chief Heath Jones, the
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard.
The hearing was the second held as part of the
Subcommittee's bipartisan inquiry, which began on September 12,
2023. The inquiry was prompted by the disclosure of an internal
Coast Guard investigation known as ``Operation Fouled Anchor,''
which looked at the Coast Guard Academy's handling of sexual
assault from the late 1980s through 2006 and found that the
Academy failed to create a culture that deterred sexual
misconduct, adequately prosecuted perpetrators, and provided
support for victims. The Subcommittee's investigation has found
that sexual assault and harassment remain persistent problems
for the Coast Guard and that the Coast Guard has failed to
fully address them.
The hearing included testimony regarding the Coast Guard's
efforts to combat sexual misconduct both at the Coast Guard
Academy and throughout its ranks, its efforts to hold
wrongdoers accountable, its failure to disclose Operation
Fouled Anchor to Congress and the public after the
investigation concluded in 2020, and its cooperation with the
Subcommittee's inquiry. The hearing underscored the need for
further inquiry into the Coast Guard's handling of sexual
misconduct cases and the necessity for the full cooperation of
the Coast Guard with the Subcommittee.
The hearing featured one witness Admiral Linda L. Fagan,
Commandant, United States Coast Guard.
J. Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: CEO Dave Calhoun Testifies. June 18,
2024 (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
On June 18, 2024, the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations held a hearing with Boeing Chief Executive
Officer Dave Calhoun as part of its inquiry into The Boeing
Company and its safety culture. Mr. Calhoun was accompanied in
his testimony by Boeing Chief Engineer Howard McKenzie.
Mr. Calhoun and Mr. McKenzie answered questions regarding
Boeing's safety practices, including changes that have been
made in the wake of two fatal crashes of Boeing 737-MAX 8
aircraft in 2018 and 2019, as well as a January 2024 incident
in which a door plug blew off of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by
Alaska Airlines. They also addressed questions related to
concerns raised by Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour regarding
alleged manufacturing shortcuts in 787 and 777 airplanes.
During the hearing, the Chair entered into the record a
memorandum outlining previously undisclosed whistleblower
allegations, including new allegations regarding Boeing's
failure to properly handle non-conforming parts, the
elimination of inspections, and retaliation against
whistleblowers.
The hearing revealed important information about Boeing's
safety culture and underscored the need for more oversight over
Boeing's safety and quality processes.
The hearing featured one witness David Calhoun, President
and Chief Executive Officer, The Boeing Company.
K. Instant Payments, Instant Losses: Zelle and the Big Banks
Fail to Protect Consumers from Fraud. July 23, 2024. (S. Hrg.
118-XXX).
The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation held a hearing
on July 23, 2024, to examine how Bank of America, JP Morgan
Chase, and Wells Fargo handle scams and fraud on Zelle. Zelle,
the largest peer-to-peer payment (P2P) service in the United
States, allows near instant transfer of customers' money from
their bank accounts. Zelle is operated by its parent company,
Early Warning Services, which is owned by seven U.S. banks. The
Chief Executive Officer of Early Warning Services, as well as
executives from its three largest owner banks, Bank of America,
JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, testified at the hearing.
During the hearing, the Chair entered into the record a
majority staff report that revealed new information on consumer
protection on the Zelle network. The report, informed by data
and documents related to scams and fraud on the Zelle network
between 2019 and 2023, found that consumers are decreasingly
reimbursed for claims of fraud on Zelle, that Zelle and its
owner banks promote Zelle for commercial payments without
consumer protections available for credit cards, and that
Zelle's owner generates revenue from the data it collects from
consumers and member banks.
At the hearing, witnesses for Zelle and the banks were
questioned about their reimbursement practices, the use of
Zelle in commercial transactions, and the financial gain
associated with Zelle. The hearing demonstrated the need for
increased safeguards to protect customers from the harmful
effects of fraud and scams on platforms like Zelle.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including name,
Cameron Fowler, Chief Executive Officer, Early Warning
Services, LLC; Melissa Feldsher, Managing Director, Head of
Commerce Enablement, JPMorgan Chase & Company; Mark Monaco,
Head of Global Payment Solutions, Bank of America Corporation;
Adam Vancini, Executive Vice President and Head of Payments for
Consumer, Small & Business Banking, Wells Fargo & Company.
L. Coast Guard Whistleblowers: Sexual Assault and Harassment. August
08, 2024. (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
On August 8, 2024, the Subcommittee held a hearing in New
London, Connecticut, as part of its ongoing inquiry into the
Coast Guard's handling of sexual assault and harassment. The
hearing featured testimony from five current and former
enlisted members of the Coast Guard. Each witness shared their
personal experience of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as
well as of the mishandling of their cases including but not
limited to instances of retaliation for reporting misconduct.
They also provided additional testimony on the cultural factors
that they believe led to their experience and on what more the
Coast Guard needs to do to make past victims whole and prevent
future misconduct.
During the hearing, the Chair entered into the record an
interim staff report detailing accounts from the more than 80
whistleblowers who shared their experiences of sexual assault
or harassment with the Subcommittee since its investigation
began in September 2023.
The hearing explored the patterns of mishandling of cases,
disregard of victims, and limited accountability for
perpetrators that have plagued the Coast Guard since 1970s and
appear to continue into the present. The interim report and
hearing testimony illustrated the profound impacts these
persistent problems have had on victims of sexual misconduct.
This highlights the need for further inquiry into the matter.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including
Julian Bell, Chief Warrant Officer 4, United States Coast
Guard; Crystal Van Den Heuvel, Yeoman Petty Officer First
Class, United States Coast Guard; Tina Owen, Lieutenant
Commander (Ret.), United States Coast Guard; Shawna Ward, Chief
Warrant Officer 4 (Ret.), United States Coast Guard; Meghan
Klement, Former Seaman, United States Coast Guard.
M. The U.S. Technology Fueling the Russian War Machine. September 10,
2024. (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
The Subcommittee's hearing examined how Russia continues to
obtain U.S.-manufactured semiconductors despite export controls
implemented after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The
hearing featured testimony from executives of four major U.S.
semiconductor manufacturers: Analog Devices, Advanced Micro
Devices, Intel, and Texas Instruments, each of which is among
the largest U.S. manufacturers whose components have been found
in Russian weapons. The Subcommittee has been investigating
these companies since September 2023 to understand what more
can be done to prevent Russia from accessing their components.
During the hearing, the Chair entered into the record an
interim majority staff report with preliminary findings from
its inquiry. The report detailed failures to adequately respond
to external tracing requests and insufficient internal and
distributor auditing at each of the companies. It also
highlighted a general lack of proactive compliance in the
semiconductor manufacturing industry.
The hearing addressed measures companies can take to keep
American semiconductors out of Russia, including ensuring that
internal and distributor audits are conducted regularly,
working with the Bureau of Industry and Security at the
Department of Commerce to evaluate and improve compliance
programs, and cooperate with entities engaged in tracing
recovered semiconductors to help identify and close channels
that funnel chips to Russia.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including
Michelle B. Stout, Vice President, Global Trade Compliance &
Government Affairs, Analog Devices, Inc; Tiffany Scurry,
Corporate Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, Advanced
Micro Devices, Inc; Jeff Rittener, Chief Trade Officer and Vice
President, International Trade Group, Intel Corporation;
Shannon Thompson, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel
for Commercial Operations, Texas Instruments, Inc.
N. FAA Oversight of Boeing's Broken Safety Culture. September 25, 2024.
(S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
On September 25, 2024, the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations held a hearing with Administrator Michael
Whitaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration
(``FAA''), its third hearing as part of its ongoing inquiry
into The Boeing Company and its quality and safety practices.
The hearing examined the FAA's oversight of Boeing's safety
culture in the wake of several incidents involving Boeing
aircraft.
Administrator Whitaker answered questions about the steps
the FAA is taking to ensure that Boeing is held to the high
standards expected of an aircraft manufacturer, pointing to
Boeing's corrective action plan that includes key performance
indicators to monitor Boeing's production and quality systems.
He also addressed questions about the FAA's inspection process
and its treatment of whistleblowers.
During the hearing, the Chair entered into the record a
memorandum revealing new details on ongoing Boeing practices
described by whistleblowers, including mismanagement of
nonconforming parts, removal of quality inspections, and
pressure to prioritize speed over quality.
The hearing raised important questions about the
effectiveness of the FAA's oversight of Boeing's safety
procedures and proposed corrective actions, highlighting the
need for further inquiry into Boeing and its regulation by the
FAA.
The hearing featured one witness the Honorable Michael G.
Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration.
O. The Sky's the Limit--New Revelations About Airline Fees. December 4,
2024. (S. Hrg. 118-XXX).
The Subcommittee's hearing examined airline fees for
products and services that were once included in the price of
airfare, which are commonly called ``ancillary fees.'' The
hearing followed a year-long inquiry into these practices,
focusing on five major U.S. airlines-American Airlines, Delta
Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United
Airlines-and a majority staff report titled, ``The Sky's the
Limit: The Rise of Junk Fees in American Travel,'' released on
November 26, 2024. Senior executives from each of the airlines
testified at the hearing.
The hearing addressed how ancillary fees on certain
services obscure the total cost of travel and are unconnected
to the actual cost of providing the services; the use of
dynamic pricing strategies that use algorithms to target prices
based on customer data; incentive payments implemented by two
of the airlines to collect certain fees from passengers before
boarding their flight; and various anti-competitive practices
employed by airlines, including the use of co-branded credit
cards, loyalty programs, and airport infrastructure.
Subcommittee Members questioned witnesses on the impacts of
rising ancillary fees for consumers, the airlines' increasing
reliance on algorithms and personal data to price fees, and
their family seating practices and policies. Subcommittee
members also asked the airline executives about their airlines'
efforts to stop the Department of Transportation from
implementing fee transparency and fee-free family seating
regulations. During the hearing Chair Richard Blumenthal
entered into the record the Subcommittee's staff report, as
well as letters to the Secretary of Transportation and the
Secretary of the Treasury requesting further action related to
practices addressed at the hearing.
The hearing revealed important information about the
current state of airline industry fees and pricing while
demonstrating the need for stronger consumer protections that
increase ancillary fee transparency, revive airline
competition, and ensure that airlines do not charge parents to
sit next to their minor children.
The hearing featured one panel of witnesses including Steve
Johnson, Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer, American
Airlines, Inc; Peter Carter, Chief External Affairs Officer,
Delta Air Lines, Inc; Andrew Nocella, Executive Vice President
and Chief Commercial Officer, United Airlines, Inc; Robert
Schroeter, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer,
Frontier Airlines, Inc; And Executive Vice President and Chief,
Commercial Officer, Spirit Airlines, Inc.
III. LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES DURING THE 118TH
CONGRESS
The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations does not have
legislative authority, however, 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 118th Congress was no exception, with
Subcommittee hearings and Members playing prominent roles in
numerous legislative initiatives.
IV. REPORTS
In connection with its investigations, the Subcommittee
often issues lengthy and detailed reports. During the 118th
Congress, the Subcommittee released thirteen such reports,
listed below.
A. Preliminary Information on Agreement Between PGA Tour and Saudi
Arabian Public Investment Fund. July 10, 2023.
1. Summary
On June 12, 2023, the Subcommittee launched an inquiry into
the proposed deal between the PGA Tour-the premier membership
organization for professional golfers in North America-and LIV
Golf, an entity backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund
(``PIF'') to create a new golf-related entity. This deal was
unexpectedly announced on June 6, 2023, despite litigation
between PGA Tour and LIV Golf, continued competition for
players, and PGA Tour's stated concerns about Saudi Arabian
involvement in professional golf.
On July 10, 2023, the Subcommittee issued a majority staff
report examining what was known about the proposed deal between
the PGA Tour and the PIF.\4\ The report detailed events that
led to the proposed agreement, Saudi government
representatives' involvement in the deal, and the future of
golf in the United States. Directly following the report, on
July 11, 2023, the Subcommittee held a hearing with
representatives from the PGA Tour to discuss the circumstances
surrounding the agreement.
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\4\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority Staff,
Preliminary Information on Agreement Between PGA Tour and Saudi Arabian
Public Investment Fund, (Jul. 10, 2023), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/
wp-content/uploads/2023-07-10-PSI-Majority-Staff-Memorandum-Regarding-
Preliminary-Information-on-Agreement-Between-PGA-Tour-and-Saudi-
Arabian-Public-Investment-Fund-with-Consolidated-Appendix.pdf.
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The Subcommittee's report illustrated the need for further
inquiry into PIF's United States investments and Saudi Arabian
influence efforts in the United States. PIF's desire for a
prominent role in golf and high-profile golf events hosted in
(or sponsored by) Saudi Arabia were consistent with the
objective laid out by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (the de
facto Saudi leader) in ``Vision 2030,'' a government-sponsored
project that, in part, aims to increase Saudi investment in
international sports to enhance Saudi Arabia's global
influence. The Subcommittee's report showed that, while PIF's
growth included significant investment in the United States,
the exact scope of those investments and their role in larger
strategic Saudi Arabian influence campaigns remained largely
unknown.
B. Majority Staff Memorandum: The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War
in Ukraine--How and Why. February 21, 2024.
1. Summary
On February 21, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff memorandum ahead of a hearing on the prevalence of
American-manufactured semiconductors in Russian weapons used in
its war against Ukraine.\5\ This memorandum examined
information obtained by the Subcommittee from four of the
largest U.S. semiconductor producers and showed repeated
incidents of semiconductors being exported to countries known
to be a conduit for Russia's evasion of sanctions.
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\5\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority Staff,
Memorandum: The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War in Ukraine: How
and Why, (Feb. 21, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2024.2.21-PSI-Staff-Memo-to-Members-on-Sanctions-Hearing.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Subcommittee's memorandum was released as a part of a
PSI inquiry into compliance by U.S. manufacturers with
technology sanctions imposed against Russia after its invasion
of Ukraine in 2022. PSI launched this inquiry in September 2023
and sought documents and information from four of the largest
producers of semiconductors in the United States, Advanced
Micro Devices Inc. (``AMD''), Analog Devices Inc. (``Analog
Devices''), Intel Corporation (``Intel''), and Texas
Instruments Incorporated (``Texas Instruments''). These four
companies were selected due to public reports regarding the
repeated appearance of their products in Russian military
equipment and/or evidence that their products continued to flow
to Russia despite export controls.
Information obtained by PSI, and included in the
Subcommittee's memorandum, showed significant increases between
2021 and 2024 in exports to countries that were not subject to
targeted restrictions but that had been identified as
potentially being used by Russia to evade U.S. export controls,
including Armenia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey.
The stark increases for these four companies included exports
to Kazakhstan increasing almost 1,000 times from 2021 to 2022.
For the same period, exports to Georgia increased over 34
times, exports to Armenia were over 28 times greater, exports
to Turkey more than doubled, and exports to Finland were
roughly 1.5 times greater.
C. Youth Vaping Epidemic: Federal Regulation of E-Cigarettes and the
Rise of JUUL and Puff Bar. February 29, 2024.
1. Summary
On February 29, 2024 the Subcommittee released a 160-page
Majority staff report on the youth vaping epidemic.\6\ The
report concluded a nearly four year investigation initiated by
the Subcommittee in March 2019 as a bipartisan investigation
under then-Chair Rob Portman and Ranking Member Tom Carper.
During the course of its investigation, the Subcommittee
reviewed more than 713,000 pages of documents from e-cigarette
manufacturers JUUL Labs, Inc. (``JUUL'') and Puff Bar, the
Department of Health and Human Services (``HHS''), Food and
Drug Administration (``FDA''), and the Small Business
Administration Office of Advocacy (``SBA OA''). The
Subcommittee also interviewed and received briefings from
former government officials at HHS, FDA, and SBA OA, as well as
representatives from JUUL, Puff Bar, social media companies,
and public health experts and advocates. The report released by
the Subcommittee examined the use of e-cigarettes by young
people, the federal government's response to the rise of youth
vaping, and e-cigarette companies' marketing practices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority Staff,
The Youth Vaping Epidemic: Federal Regulation of E-cigarettes and the
Rise of JUUL and Puff Bar, (Feb. 29, 2024), https://
www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024-02-29-PSI-E-cig-Report-
Final.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Subcommittee's investigation and report demonstrated
that, while the decline in cigarette smoking rates among U.S.
youth, was one of the great public health successes of the
early 21st century, this success was undermined by the rapid
rise in e-cigarette use in the 2010s. Data from the 2018
National Youth Tobacco Survey showed that more than 3.6 million
middle school and high school students used e-cigarettes in
2018-an increase of more than 2.8 million students from 2013.
By 2019, this number had reached a peak of 5 million. These
rates were so concerning that the then U.S. Surgeon General
labeled the phenomenon a ``public health epidemic''. While
youth e-cigarette usage had declined since 2019, more than 2.13
million middle and high school students continued to use e-
cigarettes as of 2023. The vast majority of youth used products
that came in fruit, candy, or mint flavors, whose appeal to the
younger population had long been known to both tobacco
companies and public health authorities.
The Subcommittee's majority staff report found that the
federal government missed a key opportunity to curb youth use
of e-cigarettes in 2016, and that subsequent efforts had not
fully addressed the risks of flavored e-cigarette products and
youth usage. The report warned that without further action, the
pattern of recent years-in which federal regulatory
shortcomings enabled a rotating cast of opportunistic nicotine
companies to create a new generation of addicts-could easily
repeat itself. Furthermore, the report revealed new evidence
detailing the ways in which e-cigarette companies, including
JUUL and Puff Bar, had continued to exploit weaknesses in FDA's
approach.
2. Key Findings
a. The Federal Government missed a crucial opportunity to
curb youth e-cigarette use in 2016, enabling a new generation
of addicts.
b. Regulatory efforts failed to curtail unauthorized e-
cigarette products and stop youth usage.
c. JUUL depended on flavors the company knew appealed to
youth.
d. JUUL's early marketing appealed to youth, and changes
made by the company failed to curb youth interest.
e. Puff Bar capitalized on JUUL's removal of flavors to
become the number one brand among youth by 2021.
f. Puff Bar intentionally adopted some of JUUL's practices
while trying to avoid the scrutiny that brought the company
down.
3. Recommendations
a. FDA should eliminate enforcement discretion for any
flavored e-cigarette products that promote youth and young
adult tobacco product initiation and long-term use.
b. Congress should examine the degree to which economic
and other commercial considerations are and should be factored
into the development of public health regulations, especially
those intended to address child health.
c. FDA should extend the marketing restrictions that apply
to cigarettes to e-cigarettes and other similar products,
including prohibitions on sponsorship of athletic, music, or
cultural events.
d. Congress should examine and, where necessary, update
the laws governing the marketing of age-restricted products
such as e-cigarettes to ensure restrictions on marketing to
children are effective and account for modern marketing
strategies.
e. Congress should pass legislation that codifies,
supports, and funds public awareness, education, and prevention
campaigns to educate youth and young adults, parents, and
healthcare providers about the health risks of tobacco
products, including e-cigarettes, as well as outreach to
medically underserved communities regarding tobacco-use
prevention and cessation.
f. Federal health agencies should increase efforts to
research and develop smoking cessation and nicotine addiction
interventions and therapies for children and young adults.
g. The Office of Management and Budget and the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs should institute reforms,
including recommendations from the Government Accountability
Office and the Administrative Conference of the United States,
to improve the transparency of the regulatory review process.
Additional transparency could help ensure public awareness of
the scientific evidence underlying changes to draft rules and
responsibility for these changes.
h. Congress should examine the degree to which social
media companies' age gating capabilities are effective, and
social media companies should determine how these capabilities
can be strengthened.
i. FDA should quickly fulfill the court-ordered mandate to
review all timely-submitted e-cigarette product applications.
j. FDA should utilize all its enforcement tools and work
with other federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice
and Customs and Border Protection, to clear the market of
illegal tobacco products more rapidly and to help prevent youth
use of tobacco products.
D. Majority Staff Memorandum: Preliminary Information from the
Subcommittee's Inquiry into Boeing's Safety and Quality
Practices. June 17, 2024.
1. Summary
On June 17, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff memorandum examining the safety and quality practices at
The Boeing Company (``Boeing'' or ``the company'') as part of
the Subcommittee's inquiry into Boeing's quality and safety
practices.\7\ The inquiry was launched on March 19, 2024, after
the Subcommittee received allegations from a whistleblower
indicating that there were safety flaws in the process for
manufacturing several of Boeing's aircraft. The memorandum,
which referenced documents and accounts provided by
whistleblowers familiar with Boeing's production at facilities
in Washington state and South Carolina, painted a troubling
picture of a company that prioritized speed of manufacturing
and cutting costs over ensuring the quality and safety of
aircraft. These misplaced priorities appeared to contribute to
a safety culture that insufficiently valued and addressed the
root causes of employee concerns and insufficiently deterred
retaliation against employees that spoke up. The memorandum
preceded a hearing held by the Subcommittee during which Boeing
Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun, accompanied by Boeing
Chief Engineer Howard McKenzie, testified about Boeing's safety
culture and quality practices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority Staff,
Memorandum: Preliminary Information from the Subcommittee's Inquiry
into Boeing's Safety and Quality Practices, (June 17, 2024), https://
www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024.06.17-PSI-Majority-Staff-
Memorandum.pdf.
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E. A Fast and Easy Way to Lose Money: Insufficient Consumer Protection
on the Zelle Network. July 23, 2024.
1. Summary
On July 23, 2024, the Subcommittee released a 62-page
majority staff report on the fraud and scam reimbursement
practices of the Zelle network, a peer-to-peer payment
platform.\8\ This report followed a 13-month inquiry into Early
Warning Services, LLC (``EWS''), the operator of Zelle, and the
three largest banks that offer Zelle and co-own EWS: JPMorgan
Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. The inquiry examined
the prevalence of fraud and scams on peer-to-peer platforms,
which allow consumers to transfer money instantly to another
person or business. Zelle, a peer-to-peer platform owned and
operated by Early Warning Services, LLC (``EWS''), which is
itself owned by a consortium of large banks, outpaced
competitors like Cash App and Venmo in recent years to become
the dominant peer-to-peer platform in the United States, making
the company an industry leader in digital finance and instant
payments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority Staff,
A Fast and Easy Way to Lose Money: Insufficient Consumer Protection on
the Zelle Network, (July 23, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2024.7.23-PSI-Majority-Staff-Report-on-Zelle.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Subcommittee's report found that, despite a legal
mandate in the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to reimburse fraud,
the three banks investigated collectively reimbursed a fraction
of fraud disputes. The Subcommittee also found evidence that
Zelle and its owner banks promoted use of the platform for
commercial purposes, while claiming that it was intended for
use among people users know and trust. Additionally, the report
detailed how EWS drove profits for banks by selling customer
data to financial service companies. Contemporaneously with the
release of the report, the Subcommittee held a hearing with
representatives from each of the three banks and EWS to examine
how they handle scams and fraud on Zelle.
2. Key Findings
a. Despite a legal mandate in the Electronic Fund Transfer
Act to reimburse fraud, JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Wells
Fargo collectively reimbursed consumers for approximately 38%,
or $64 million, of the $166 million worth of fraud disputes at
these banks in 2023, leaving over $100 million worth of fraud
disputes unreimbursed that year.
b. Despite stating on its website that Zelle is intended
as a way to send and receive money between ``friends, family,
and others you trust,'' commercial usage of Zelle payments grew
significantly, with the number of profiles on Zelle associated
with a business growing over 18 times from 2019 to 2023. By
comparison, the total processed value of all payments on the
Zelle Network grew just over four times in the same time frame.
c. Zelle expanded its reimbursement policy in June 2023,
describing the expansion of reimbursement rules as ``well above
existing legal and regulatory requirements,'' but the new
policy covered only a small percentage of all scam disputes on
the Zelle Network. The policy change resulted in $18.3 million
in reimbursed scam claims in the six months following its
implementation, amounting to approximately 15-20% of all scam
disputes on the Zelle Network within that timeframe.
d. EWS oversaw governance of the Zelle Network and
monitors it for noncompliance with network policies. Six out of
seven of the banks that co-own EWS were in violation of Zelle
Network policies at least once in the 26-month period reviewed
by PSI for having elevated rates of scams and fraud at their
institution.
e. EWS collected voluminous real-time data on the
consumers who used Zelle, directly and through the banks that
participated in the Zelle Network. EWS used the data it
collected on consumers to develop risk management tools that it
sold to financial services companies. EWS operated Zelle at a
loss but told PSI that the data-based products it sold are its
``profit driver.''
f. Between 2019 and 2022, JPMorgan, Bank of America, and
Wells Fargo on average reimbursed consumers under 35 at lower
rates than older consumers. In 2022, consumers over 65 at these
banks were almost twice as likely to be reimbursed for fraud
disputes than consumers under 18, with an average of 35% of
consumers under 18 reimbursed versus 68% of consumers over 65.
Zelle and the banks that offer it provided few controls that
could empower parents to protect their minor children, such as
the ability to disable Zelle in their child's banking app.
These banks appeared to have fewer safety protocols in place
for minors than for their older customers.
3. Recommendations
a. Congress should amend the Electronic Fund Transfer Act
to require financial institutions to reimburse consumers for
``fraudulently induced'' authorized transactions. Amidst a
surge in increasingly sophisticated scams and fraud, such an
amendment would offer consumers more robust protection should
they fall victim to a scam.
b. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (``CFPB'')
should update Regulation E to require financial institutions to
provide greater transparency when responding to disputed
transactions by providing further clarity on what constitutes a
``reasonable'' investigation. This would create a higher
standard for dispute investigations, giving banks a minimum set
of requirements that they must meet as part of a thorough
investigation of disputed claims.
c. Where P2P payments are intended for commercial
purposes, payment platforms should be required to provide
purchase protections that they provide for other payment
methods, such as for credit cards. By extending purchase
protections to P2P payments, consumers could engage with small
businesses knowing that they are protected by the reimbursement
standards offered by other payment methods in commercial
transactions.
d. EWS and banks that offer Zelle should implement a
robust framework to share specific and real time information
regarding scams and fraud with law enforcement and other
financial institutions. This framework would strengthen those
institutions' collective defenses to scams and fraud and
empower law enforcement to apprehend bad actors.
e. In the face of growing digitization of finance,
Congress and the CFPB should further limit the use of consumer
financial data collected by payment platforms. Better
disclosures and more meaningful limitations on the use of
financial data would help protect consumers from unwanted
harvesting of their data.
f. EWS should require banks that offer Zelle to allow
parents to disable Zelle in their child's online banking app
and to notify parents of large transactions initiated by their
child. Developing such capabilities would empower parents to
monitor the safety of their child's financial decision making.
g. Congress should amend the Electronic Fund Transfer Act
to clarify that EWS, and any other financial services companies
that play a central role in facilitating electronic fund
transfers, are considered a ``financial institution'' under the
statute. Expanding the definition to include these entities
would make it more difficult for EWS to avoid responsibility to
protect consumers.
F. A Pervasive Problem: Voices of Coast Guard Sexual Assault and
Harassment Survivors. August 7, 2024.
1. Summary
On August 7, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff report that presented accounts received from the more
than 80 whistleblowers who had come forward to the Subcommittee
to report their personal experiences of sexual assault and
sexual harassment in the U.S. Coast Guard and at the U.S. Coast
Guard Academy (the ``Academy'').\9\ The report was immediately
followed by a hearing held in New London, Connecticut, during
which five current and former Coast Guard members shared their
experiences of sexual assault and harassment. This report and
hearing were a part of a bipartisan inquiry, launched in
September 2023, into the Coast Guard's mishandling of sexual
assault and sexual harassment at the Coast Guard Academy. The
stories detailed in the report, spanning from the 1970s through
the 2020s, depicted systemic failures at the Coast Guard
Academy and in the Coast Guard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority Staff,
A Pervasive Problem: Voices of Coast Guard Sexual Assault and
Harassment Survivors, (Aug. 7, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2024.08.07-PSI-Majority-Staff-Report-Voices-of-Coast-
Guard-Sexual-Assault-and-Harassment-Survivors.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whistleblower accounts shared in the report reflected the
Coast Guard's failure to not only protect personnel from sexual
assault and harassment, but to treat victims with dignity and
respect. Their stories detailed the Coast Guard's systemic
inability to address or prevent sexual assault and harassment,
including a culture of silence, retaliation, and failed
accountability.
2. Key Findings
Survivor stories received by the Subcommittee and presented
in this report included the following common themes:
a. A culture of ostracization, shaming, and disbelief
deterred victims of abuse from reporting.
b. Leadership discouraged victims of abuse from reporting.
c. Fear of punishment for collateral misconduct deterred
victims of abuse from reporting.
d. Investigations into abuse allegations were
retraumatizing and failed to enforce meaningful accountability
for perpetrators.
e. Victims of abuse faced career retaliation after
reporting.
f. This flawed culture at the Coast Guard has had dire
consequences for victims.
g. The problem of mishandled sexual assault and harassment
is one of the present.
h. The victim outreach associated with Operation Fouled
Anchor (``OFA'') was inadequate and retraumatizing.
i. The Coast Guard has failed to provide survivors the
necessary documentation to access U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs services.
j. The Coast Guard has failed to provide survivors with
their records, impacting their ability to understand what
happened to them and to move forward with their lives.
G. The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War in Ukraine: Examining
Semiconductor Manufacturers' Compliance with Export Controls.
September 10, 2024.
1. Summary
On September 10, 2024, the Subcommittee released a 43 page
majority staff report detailing its findings following a year-
long investigation into the continued presence of U.S.
manufactured semiconductors in Russian weapons found on
battlefields in Ukraine. The Subcommittee's inquiry and
subsequent report focused on four U.S.-based semiconductor
manufacturers whose products had reportedly appeared in Russian
weapons on a consistent basis: Analog Devices, Intel, Texas
Instruments, and Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated (AMD).
The release of the Subcommittee's report coincided with a
hearing at which representatives from the four companies
testified regarding the flaws in their export controls
compliance programs.\10\ The Subcommittee's majority staff
report found that U.S. semiconductor manufacturer efforts had
failed to meaningfully prevent U.S. technology from fueling
Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority
Staff, The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War in Ukraine: Examining
Semiconductor Manufacturers' Compliance with Export Controls, (Sept.
10, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/09.10.2024-
Majority-Staff-Report-The-U.S.-Technology-Fueling-Russias-War-in-
Ukraine.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Key Findings
a. The semiconductor manufacturing industry had not
increased its compliance efforts effectively or fast enough to
combat Russian diversion efforts.
b. Exports from AMD, Analog Devices, Intel, and Texas
Instruments to multiple countries with entities identified as
assisting in Russian diversion efforts were significantly
elevated in 2023 compared to exports prior to Russia's war in
Ukraine.
c. Since the start of 2024, AMD, Analog Devices, Intel,
and Texas Instruments had each identified and blocked sales to
entities potentially involved in Russian diversion. However,
these sales could have been identified and blocked earlier and
faster with more proactive compliance regimes.
d. Export controls compliance policies at AMD, Analog
Devices, Intel, and Texas Instruments failed to meet best
practices and recommendations from the Department of Commerce
and non-governmental organizations. All except for AMD had
failed to respond timely to external tracing efforts, and each
lacked sufficient internal auditing and distributor auditing
related to export controls compliance.
3. Recommendations
a. Semiconductor manufacturers should respond to external
tracing efforts thoroughly and in a timely manner.
b. Semiconductor manufacturers should annually audit their
entire export controls compliance programs, and audit targeted
processes more frequently-particularly when problems arise or
regulations change.
c. Semiconductor manufacturers should implement policies
to provide increased visibility into export controls compliance
in their distribution chain, including yearly auditing of all
of their distributors' export controls compliance.
d. Semiconductor manufacturers should routinely submit
export control compliance plans for review and comment by the
Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
H. Majority Staff Memorandum: New Details of Boeing's Safety Failures
and Pressure to Prioritize Profits. September 24, 2024.
1. Summary
On September 24, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff memorandum presenting new information based on documents
the Subcommittee obtained from the Federal Aviation
Administration and Boeing during its investigation into safety
practices at Boeing. The memorandum was issued in advance of
the Subcommittee's September 25, 2024, hearing with FAA
Administrator Michael Whitaker, the third hearing in the
Subcommittee's inquiry into Boeing's manufacturing
practices.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority
Staff, Memorandum: New Details of Boeing's Safety Failures and Pressure
to Prioritize Profits, (Sept. 24, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/
wp-content/uploads/2024.9.25-PSI-Hearing-FAA-Boeing-Oversight-Majority-
Staff-Background-Memo-2.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Key Findings
a. Boeing personnel continued to feel pressure to
prioritize speed of production over quality.
b. Boeing continued to struggle to ensure its employees
are adequately trained and appropriately resourced for their
work.
c. Boeing continued to fail to ensure that nonconforming
parts are appropriately documented, stored, and dispositioned
so that they are not installed on aircraft.
d. Boeing's quality inspection procedures and the FAA's
review of those procedures raised questions about the
qualifications and independence of individuals performing
inspections.
i. Boeing personnel were allowed to inspect the quality
of their own work.
ii. The FAA acknowledged to the Subcommittee that
manufacturing personnel inspecting the quality of their own
work appeared to pose an inherent conflict of interest.
I. Interim Joint Report: Examination of U.S. Secret Service Planning
and Security Failures Related to the July 13, 2024
Assassination Attempt. September 25, 2024.
1. Summary
At the direction of U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Rand
Paul, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (``HSGAC'') and
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ron Johnson, Chairman and
Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
(the Subcommittee), Majority and Minority Committee staff
opened a bipartisan investigation of planning and security
failures that contributed to the attempted assassination of
then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in
Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, during which one
audience member was killed and two others were critically
injured.
The 133-page interim report detailed the information the
Committee and Subcommittee's preliminary findings.\12\ The
committees found that USSS failures in planning,
communications, security, and allocation of resources for the
July 13, 2024 Butler rally were foreseeable, preventable, and
directly related to the events resulting in the assassination
attempt that day. The committees also found that siloed
communications and coordination problems between federal,
state, and local law enforcement officials remained unaddressed
and were a contributing factor to the failures at the July 13
Butler rally.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and
Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Interim Joint Report:
Examination of U.S. Secret Service Planning and Security Failures
Related to the July 13, 2024 Assassination Attempt, (Sept. 25, 2024),
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/USSS-HSGAC-Interim-
Report.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Key Findings
a. USSS personnel were notified of a suspicious person
with a rangefinder around the AGR building approximately 27
minutes before the shooting.
b. USSS was notified about an individual on the AGR roof
approximately two minutes before the shooter fired from the AGR
roof.
c. Shortly before shots were fired, a USSS counter sniper
saw local law enforcement running toward the AGR building with
their guns drawn, but he did not alert former President Trump's
protective detail to remove him from the stage.
d. USSS counter snipers--including the one who shot and
killed the shooter--were sent to the rally in response to
``credible intelligence'' of a threat.
e. USSS Advance Agents for the July 13 rally denied
individual responsibility for planning or security failures,
deflected blame, and could not identify who had final decision
authority for the rally.
f. Local law enforcement raised concern about the security
coverage of the AGR building.
g. USSS advance personnel identified multiple line-of-
sight concerns at the Butler Farm Show grounds, including the
AGR building.
h. There were two separate communications centers at the
July 13 rally--one run by USSS and one by local law
enforcement.
i. The shooter was in the USSS counter sniper's sights for
``mere seconds'' before he fired at the shooter.
j. USSS Advance Agents requested additional resources that
would have been helpful, but those assets were denied.
k. USSS' C-UAS system experienced technical problems and
was inoperable until 4:33 pm, after the shooter flew a drone
near the rally site.
l. Several USSS officials reported experiencing technical
problems with their radios at the rally and told the committees
such problems are common for USSS.
3. Recommendations
a. Planning and Coordination: Congress should require USSS
to identify defined roles and responsibilities for USSS
personnel responsible for advance planning of any protective
event.
i. For all protective events, USSS should improve
coordination and specify roles and responsibilities between and
among federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.
ii. USSS policies and protocols should require advance
planning leads to request and review state and local
operational plans in advance of any protective event to ensure
a shared understanding of security responsibilities and
vulnerabilities as well as other critical planning and security
components.
b. Responsibility: In advance of each protective event,
USSS should designate a single individual responsible for
approving all plans, including the responsibility for approving
security perimeters.
c. Communications: DHS and USSS should ensure
communications plans between federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies and first responders are properly executed
and should ensure records retention capabilities.
i. Congress should require that USSS record its radio
transmissions at all protective events.
ii. Congress should require DHS and USSS to evaluate the
steps it needs to take to ensure communications plans with
state and local partners are fully executed when conducting law
enforcement and/or first response activities at a given
location. Congress should require that DHS and USSS report to
Congress any steps taken to remedy past failures to execute
communications plans and to ensure compliance with those plans
in the future.
d. Intelligence: USSS should consider sending additional
assets, including counter snipers, to all future outdoor
protective events as it evaluates intelligence and threats
against protectees. USSS should also ensure that the
appropriate agents working protective events are informed of
relevant intelligence and threats against protectees.
e. Resources: Congress should evaluate USSS budget and
resources. Security requirements should be determined depending
on various threat levels, ranging from less severe threat
environments to the highest level of security at National
Special Security Events.
i. Congress should require that USSS allocate assets and
resources based on the threat level, not the position or title
of the protectee.
J. Refusal of Recovery: How Medicare Advantage Companies Have
Intentionally Denied Patients Access to Post-Acute Care.
October 16, 2024.
1. Summary
On October 16, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff report concluding an inquiry initiated in May 2023 into
delays and denials of care in the Medicare Advantage
program.\13\ PSI's inquiry focused on three of the largest
Medicare Advantage insurers: UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and CVS,
which together covered nearly 60 percent of all Medicare
Advantage enrollees. The report presented new findings based on
the more than 280,000 pages of documents collected by the
Subcommittee and revealed how Medicare Advantage insurers
intentionally used prior authorization to boost profits by
targeting costly yet critical stays in post-acute care
facilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority
Staff, Refusal of Recovery: How Medicare Advantage Companies Have
Intentionally Denied Patients Access to Post-Acute Care, (Oct. 17,
2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024.10.17-PSI-
Majority-Staff-Report-on-Medicare-Advantage.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Key Findings
a. UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and CVS used prior
authorization to target costly but critical post-acute care.
b. UnitedHealthcare's denial rate for prior authorization
requests for post-acute care significantly increased at the
same time the company was launching initiatives to automate the
process.
i. A UnitedHealthcare committee approved an ``auto
authorization model'' after learning that it resulted in faster
review times and increased denials.
ii. Prior authorization denials for skilled nursing
facilities accelerated significantly once naviHealth began
managing post-acute care for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
iii. UnitedHealthcare sought to use machine learning to
``flag'' cases that were likely to be appealed.
c. CVS knew prior authorization denials generated huge
savings and subjected more and more post-acute care requests to
the process.
i. Savings from prior authorization denials vastly
exceeded savings from automated approvals.
ii. CVS developed a data-driven strategy of focusing on
prior authorization requests with ``a significant probability
to be denied''.
iii. CVS data modeling revealed how `Mistake' approvals
of post-acute care requests threatened profitability.
iv. CVS began use artificial intelligence to reduce
spending at post-acute facilities amid pressure to reduce costs
in its Medicare Advantage division.
d. Humana's denial rate at long-term acute care hospitals
jumped significantly after prior authorization training
sessions emphasized denials.
i. Humana crafted templates to respond to post-acute
prior authorization requests that enabled them to ``uphold a
denial on appeal''.
ii. Humana training sessions for requests for long-term
acute care hospitals emphasized cost and provided strategies
for handling denials.
iii. Humana staff had concerns about suggesting hospice
as an alternative to long-term acute care hospitals.
iv. Internal Humana policies appear to give naviHealth
and other contractors greater latitude to exclude humans from
decision making.
3. Recommendations
a. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should
begin collecting prior authorization information broken down by
service category.
b. CMS should conduct targeted audits if prior
authorization data reveal notable increases in adverse
determination rates.
c. CMS should expand regulations for utilization
management committees to prevent predictive technologies from
unduly influencing human reviewers.
K. The Sky's the Limit: The Rise of Junk Fees in American Air Travel.
November 25, 2024.
1. Summary
On November 25, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff report regarding airline ancillary fees, commonly
referred to as ``junk fees.''\14\ This report followed the
subcommittee's inquiry examining ancillary fees in the airline
industry, launched in November 2023, targeting three major U.S.
airlines-American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United
Airlines-as well as two ``ultra-low-cost'' carriers, Frontier
Airlines and Spirit Airlines, both of which helped pioneer many
of the fee structures now used throughout the industry.
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\14\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority
Staff, The Sky's the Limit: The Rise of June Fees in American Air
Travel, (Nov. 25, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2024.11.25-Majority-Staff-Report-The-Skys-the-Limit-The-Rise-
of-Junk-Fees-in-American-Travel-1.pdf.
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The Subcommittee's report, which was based on internal
documents obtained from the airlines, revealed strategies to
grow revenue from ancillary fees. U.S. airlines had
increasingly charged separately for goods and services that
were once included in the price of a ticket. This strategy,
known as ``unbundling,'' had spread to almost every airline in
the industry. The Subcommittee's report detailed how airlines
had generated billions of dollars in revenue from ancillary
fees while travelers confronted more and increasingly complex
fees and fewer options for avoiding them, obscuring the total
cost of travel and obstructing comparison shopping. The report
revealed that some airlines used consumer data to help set the
price of certain ancillary fees, resulting in different people
attempting to book the exact same flight at the exact same time
being charged different amounts.
2. Key Findings
a. The five airlines are making more money from seat fees
than ever before: American, Delta, United, Frontier, and Spirit
generated $12.4 billion in seat fee revenue between 2018 and
2023.
i. For American, Delta, United, Frontier, and Spirit,
seat fees made up a higher share of total revenue in 2023 than
in 2018.
ii. American, United, Frontier, and Spirit did not show
customers the cost of seat selection fees until they provided
personal information.
b. The price of ancillary fees at American, Delta, United,
Frontier, and Spirit was not tied to each airline's cost of
providing a service.
i. American, Delta, Frontier, and Spirit said they had
not considered varying the price of existing fees based on the
airfare paid or the cost of providing a service.
ii. Ancillary fees sometimes added up to more than the
price of the fare itself.
c. The five airlines increasingly relied on algorithms to
set the price of ancillary fees and were investing in pricing
strategies based on customer data.
d. In 2022 and 2023, Spirit and Frontier paid more than
$26 million to incentivize gate agents and others to collect
bag and other fees.
i. Frontier paid carry-on bag commissions for 18 months
before changing the ``goal of the program'' to include limiting
passenger complaints.
ii. Incentive payments were part of Frontier's strategy
for constant growth of ancillary revenue.
iii. Frontier and Spirit denied that their incentive
policies are being abused.
e. The share of customer payments airlines subject to
taxation varied enormously.
3. Recommendations
a. Congress should require airlines to provide more
granular fee data to the Department of Transportation and
strengthen fee disclosure requirements.
b. The Department of Transportation should investigate
potential abuses in the use of incentive-based collection of
ancillary fees, prohibit unfair and deceptive practices, and
assess civil penalties if appropriate.
c. The Treasury Department should examine whether current
airline ancillary fee practices comply with rules about
applying the transportation tax.
L. The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War in Ukraine: Examining the
Bureau of Industry and Security's Enforcement of Semiconductor
Export Controls. December 18, 2024.
1. Summary
On December 18, 2024, the Subcommittee released a majority
staff report, as a part of its inquiry into the continued
presence of U.S. manufactured semiconductors in Russian weapons
recovered in Ukraine. This report considered the role of
government enforcement in the effectiveness of U.S. export
controls, finding that the efforts of the Bureau of Industry
and Security (BIS), the entity primarily responsible for export
control enforcement, were inadequate.\15\ The report found that
while BIS had been asked to fulfill a key national security
function, it was forced to do so with insufficient funding and
dated technology. The report also found that BIS had largely
left the decision of how to comply with the law to
semiconductor companies themselves, imposing no requirements
for specific components an export control program must contain
and mandating no meaningful outside review of semiconductor
companies' export control programs. Even when violations were
present, BIS had not charged companies with sufficiently
serious violations or imposed fines sufficiently robust to
compel better compliance.
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\15\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Majority
Staff, The U.S. Technology Fueling Russia's War in Ukraine: Examining
the Bureau of Industry and Security's Enforcement of Semiconductor
Export Controls, (Dec. 18, 2024), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-
content/uploads/The-U.S.-Technology-Fueling-Russias-War-in-Ukraine-
Examing-BISs-Enforcement-of-Semiconductor-Export-Controls.pdf.
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2. Key Findings
a. Congress has not provided BIS with adequate funding to
fulfill its mission.
i. BIS's budget limited its ability to conduct the number
of international end-use checks needed to catch Russian and
Chinese diversion.
ii. BIS's limited budget inhibited its ability to update
its woefully outdated information technology systems.
b. BIS failed to fully use its existing authority to
enforce export controls.
i. BIS has not required that semiconductor companies'
export control programs contain any specific components, or
that companies' export control programs undergo outside review.
ii. BIS has not adequately charged companies for
``knowing'' violations of the export acquisition regulations.
iii. BIS acknowledged the need for larger fines for
violations of the export acquisition regulations but has not
imposed them.
3. Recommendations
a. Congress should provide BIS with adequate funding to
manage its increased workload and responsibilities.
b. BIS should utilize its robust authority to require
semiconductor manufacturers to do more to prevent their
products from ending up in the wrong hands, including:
i. BIS should accelerate plans to impose higher fines on
companies who violate export controls.
ii. BIS should charge companies with ``knowing''
violations when they fail to sufficiently investigate red flags
or other strong indicia of potential diversion and violations
occur.
iii. BIS should rely less on voluntary compliance from
semiconductor companies and instead mandate specific components
an export control compliance program must contain.
iv. BIS should require periodic, routine reviews of
semiconductor companies' export control plans by outside
entities.
M. Interim Report: Coast Guard Efforts to Conceal the Operation Fouled
Anchor Investigation from Congress and the Public. December 20,
2024.
1. Summary
On December 20, 2024, the Subcommittee released a
bipartisan interim staff report that presented initial findings
uncovered over the course of the Subcommittee's fifteen-month
inquiry into the mishandling of sexual assault and sexual
harassment cases at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, as well as
the Coast Guard's failure to notify Congress about the
conclusion of Operation Fouled Anchor, an investigation into
allegations of sexual misconduct at the United States Coast
Guard Academy from the early 1990s through 2006.\16\ As a part
of this inquiry, the Subcommittee reviewed more than 18,000
pages of documents and interviewed fifteen former Coast Guard
personnel who were in key roles during the Operation Fouled
Anchor investigation. Since launching its inquiry, PSI also
received outreach from more than 80 whistleblowers, the
majority of whom are survivors of sexual assault or sexual
harassment at the Academy and in the Coast Guard. The
Subcommittee's report found that the Coast Guard decided in the
fall of 2018 not to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor to
Congress or the public. Additionally, the report exposed
efforts by the Coast Guard to remove references to Operation
Fouled Anchor from productions to Congress while the
investigation was ongoing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Interim
Report: Coast Guard Efforts to Conceal the Operation Fouled Anchor
Investigation from Congress and the Public, (Dec. 20, 2024), https://
www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024.12.20_Coast-Guard-OFA-
Interim-Report_final.pdf.
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2. Key Findings
a. Senior Coast Guard officials agreed in the fall of 2018
not to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor to Congress or the
public.
i. Preparation for the conclusion of Operation Fouled
Anchor began in 2018.
ii. As Coast Guard officials neared a decision on
disclosure, Coast Guard personnel sought to understand what, if
anything, Congress already knew about Operation Fouled Anchor.
iii. The Commandant of the Coast Guard made the decision
not to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor.
b. A February 2019 email suggests that the Coast Guard
took affirmative steps to remove references to Operation Fouled
Anchor from productions to Congress while the investigation was
ongoing.
V. GAO REPORTS
During the 118th Congress, the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) issued 12 reports at the request of the
Subcommittee. Reports are listed here by title, GAO number, and
release date.
2020 Census: A More Complete Lessons Learned Process for
Cost and Schedule Would Help the Next Decennial. GAO-23-105819.
March 2, 2024.
Government Performance Management: Actions Needed to
Improve Transparency of Cross-Agency Priority Goals. GAO-23-
106354. April 4, 2023.
Federal Research: NIH Could Take Additional Actions to
Manage Risks Involving Foreign Subrecipients. GAO-23-106119.
June 14, 2023.
U.S. Assistance to Mexico: State Department Should Take
Steps to Assess Overall Progress. GAO-23-103795. September 12,
2023.
Biometric Identity System: DHS Needs to Address Significant
Shortcomings in Program Management and Privacy. GAO-23-105959.
September 12, 2023.
Puerto Rico Disasters: Progress Made, but the Recovery
Continues to Face Challenges. GAO-24-105557. February 13, 2024.
2020 Census: The Bureau Adapted Approaches for Addressing
Unexpected Results and Developing Annual Population Estimates.
GAO-24-106594. April 1, 2024.
DHS Hiring: Additional Actions Needed to Enhance Vetting
Processes Across the Department. GAO-24-106153. June 11, 2024.
Persistent Chemicals: Additional EPA Actions Could Help
Public Water Systems Address PFAS In Drinking Water. GAO-24-
106523. September 24, 2024.
Information Technology: Government-Wide Guidance on
Handling Data Could Improve Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Protections. GAO-25-106057. November 19, 2024.
2020 Census: Coverage Errors and Challenges Inform 2030
Plans. GAO-25-107160. November 21, 2024.
Immigration Courts: Actions Needed to Track and Report
Noncitizens' Hearing Appearances. GAO-25-106867. December 19,
2024.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMERGING THREATS AND
SPENDING OVERSIGHT
Chairman: Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Ranking Member: Mitt Romney (R-UT)
The following is the Activity Report of the Subcommittee on
Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight for the 118th Congress.
I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
A. Subcommittee Jurisdiction
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; conducting oversight of the
organization and management of United States nuclear export
policy; 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.
B. Subcommittee Chairs
Senator Margaret Wood Hassan of New Hampshire chaired the
Subcommittee from its founding in 2021 through 2024.
C. 117th Congress
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee was founded and
Senator Margaret Wood Hassan, Democrat of New Hampshire, became
its Chair. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, became
Ranking Minority Member. Under Senator Hassan's Leadership, the
Subcommittee held eight hearings.
D. 118th Congress
In the 118th Congress, Senator Hassan continued as Chair,
and Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, became Ranking
Minority Member when Senator Paul was elevated to Ranking
Minority Member of the Full Committee. Under Chair Hassan's
leadership, the Subcommittee held nine hearings on a wide range
of issues, including lessons learned after the 10th anniversary
of the Boston Marathon Bombing, modernizing government IT
infrastructure, reducing duplication of Executive Branch
functions, cyberattacks on soft targets, COVID-era federal
spending, and export control enforcement.
II. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS DURING THE 118TH
CONGRESS
A. Lessons Learned: 10 Years Since the Boston Marathon Bombings. April
26, 2023. S. Hrg. 118-106.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, the Subcommittee held a
hearing examining lessons learned in the decade since the
Boston Marathon terrorist attack. The hearing featured a panel
of three witnesses with expertise in emergency preparedness and
response, law enforcement, intelligence and information
sharing, and emerging threats. Topics examined in this hearing
included changes in homeland security efforts to protect soft
targets and special events; remaining gaps in security;
emerging threats to mass gatherings and special events, and
steps that federal, state, local, and tribal governments can
take to prepare for these emerging threats. Witnesses
additionally discussed the importance of relationships,
planning, and exercising; the importance of mental health
resources for survivors and first responders; current
deficiencies in information sharing practices; and challenges
in the Special Event Assessment Rating process.
Witnesses: The Honorable Richard A. Serino, Distinguished
Senior Fellow, National Preparedness Leadership Initiative,
Harvard University; Kerry Sleeper, Special Advisor, Secure
Community Network; and Edward F. Davis III, Former
Commissioner, Boston Police Department.
B. Securing the Nation: Modernizing DHS's Mission-Critical Legacy IT
Systems. May 31, 2023. S. Hrg. 118-152.
This hearing explored the Department of Homeland Security's
(DHS) reliance on legacy information technology (IT) systems to
carry out its mission to secure the nation. Importantly,
witnesses discussed what would happen if critical systems fail,
and what DHS needs to do to mitigate the risks posed by these
aging systems. In particular, the hearing discussed DHS's
difficulties acquiring, developing, and managing its IT
investments. To address challenges in modernizing systems, both
the DHS Inspector General and Government Accountability Office
recommend improving project management practices, strengthening
cybersecurity measures, increasing transparency and
accountability, and enhancing the agency's IT workforce. DHS
testified that it is in the process of updating its Information
Technology Strategic Plan for FY 2024-2028. The Transportation
Security Administration highlighted that it completed the
transfer of its legacy performance data system to an updated
platform in early 2023.
Witnesses: Eric Hysen, Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; Charles R. Armstrong, Chief
Information Officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; Yemi Oshinnaiye, Chief
Information Officer, Transportation Security Administration,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Kevin Walsh,
Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
C. Examining the Findings and Recommendations of GAO's 2023 Report on
Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication
and Achieve Financial Benefits. June 14, 2023. S. Hrg. 118-131.
The Subcommittee held its annual hearing regarding the
Government Accountability Office's (GAO) 2023 report on overlap
and duplication of government programs titled ``Additional
Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication
and Achieve Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits.'' Since
2011, 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. The hearing
focused on specific findings in this year's report. In
addition, the Subcommittee discussed ways for Congress to
provide commonsense solutions to the issues raised by GAO to
ensure that Congress is doing its part to mitigate waste,
fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Witnesses: The Honorable Eugene L. Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
D. Improving Federal Collaboration to Protect Our K-12 Schools from
Cyberattacks. August 21, 2023. S. Hrg. 118-161. Field Hearing
in Goffstown, New Hampshire.
On Monday, August 21, 2023, the Subcommittee held a
roundtable titled ``Improving Federal Collaboration to Protect
Our K-12 Schools from Cyberattacks'' at the New Hampshire
Institute of Politics at St. Anselm's College in Goffstown, New
Hampshire. The roundtable featured a panel of six participants
from different levels of government. The panelists discussed
the coordination and collaboration efforts of federal agencies,
state and local governments, and non-government entities to
improve the cybersecurity of K-12 schools. Subtopics included
the Department of Education's Government Coordination Council
for K-12 cybersecurity, the Department of Homeland Security's
state and local cybersecurity grant program, impacts of
cyberattacks on K-12 schools, the U.S. Secret Service's
National Computer Forensics Institute, and minimum data
security standards.
Participants: Daniel King, Chief of Cybersecurity, Region 1
(New England), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Richard Rossi,
Cybersecurity Advisor--New Hampshire, Cybersecurity and
Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security; Timothy Benitez, Resident Agent in Charge,
Manchester, NH, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security; Denis Goulet, Commissioner and Chief
Information Officer, State of New Hampshire Department of
Information Technology; Kenneth Weeks, Chief Information
Security Officer, State of New Hampshire Department of
Information Technology; and Pamela McLeod, Chair, Alton School
Board.
E. Advanced Technology: Examining Threats to National Security.
September 19, 2023. S. Hrg. 118-136.
On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, the Subcommittee held a
hearing examining how advanced technologies--such as artificial
intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and bioengineering--may
pose risks to national security and public safety. The hearing
featured a panel of three witnesses with expertise in advanced
technologies, national security, and research and development.
Topics examined in this hearing included the need for stronger
AI safeguards, public safety risks from AI jailbreaks, and
threats posed by other advanced technology, such as drone-based
threats and quantum technology. Witnesses additionally
discussed the importance of developing federal capacity to
evaluate and respond to AI risks, establishing clear
authorities for advanced technology regulations, investing in
research into AI, and the risks driven by the proliferation of
low-cost technologies.
Witnesses: Gregory C. Allen, Director, Wadhwani Center for
AI and Advanced Technologies; Jeff Alstott, Ph.D., Senior
Information Scientist, RAND Corporation; and Dewey Murdick,
Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Security and Emerging
Technology.
F. Examining Federal COVID-Era Spending and Preventing Future Fraud.
November 14, 2023. S. Hrg. 118-242.
This hearing brought together key members of the oversight
community to explore fraud in COVID pandemic relief programs,
what agencies are doing to hold fraudsters accountable, and how
Congress and agencies can prevent fraud in future relief
efforts. The witnesses testified on what Congress and agencies
could have done differently to prevent waste, fraud, and
improper payments through better data-sharing between agencies
and internal financial controls. The witnesses also talked
about threats posed by international criminal organizations
infiltrating pandemic relief programs. Finally, the witnesses
provided several lessons-learned and suggestions for
legislation that can help prevent future waste, fraud, abuse,
and mismanagement of emergency relief funding.
Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Chair,
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Inspector General,
U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable Hannibal ``Mike''
Ware, Inspector General, U.S. Small Business Administration;
The Honorable Brian D. Miller, Special Inspector General for
Pandemic Recovery, U.S. Department of the Treasury; and Rebecca
Shea, Director, Forensic Audits and Investigative Service, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
G. Strengthening International Cooperation to Stop the Flow of Fentanyl
into the United States. March 20, 2024. S. Hrg. 118-264.
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Subcommittee held a
hearing examining steps that U.S. officials can take to curb
the flow of fentanyl, precursor chemicals used to make
fentanyl, and other synthetic narcotics into the United States.
The hearing featured a panel of three non-governmental
witnesses with expertise in counternarcotics, diplomacy,
international cooperation, and law enforcement. Topics examined
in this hearing steps the U.S. can take to foster policy
changes in China and Mexico, as well as threats posed by new
synthetic drugs and transnational criminal organizations.
Witnesses additionally discussed the importance of being
prepared to respond to new and evolving risks, using anti-money
laundering measures to halt criminal activity, considering
economic penalties for non-cooperative states, and the need for
China to implement strong counter-narcotics and smuggling
policies, including know-your-customer laws.
Witnesses: Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown, Director, Initiative on
Nonstate Armed Actors, Brookings Institute; Ms. Celina B.
Realuyo, Professor, William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric
Defense Studies, National Defense University; and Mr.
Christopher Urben, Managing Partner, Nardello & Co.
H. Improving Export Controls Enforcement. April 10, 2024. S. Hrg. 118-
XX.
On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the Subcommittee held a
hearing examining current law enforcement efforts to enforce
export controls, including interagency coordination efforts.
The hearing featured a panel of three government witnesses
representing agencies with diverse roles and responsibilities
for export control enforcement, as well as expertise in
counternarcotics, diplomacy, international cooperation, and law
enforcement. The hearing examined what Congress can do to
enhance enforcement efforts, as well as what resources and
authorities are needed to prevent the acquisition of advanced
dual-use technologies by adversarial nations. Witnesses
additionally discussed the importance of law enforcement
coordination domestically and abroad to stay ahead of efforts
by adversaries to violate export controls and gain access to
restricted U.S. technologies.
Witnesses: Ms. Eun Young Choi, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, National Security Division, U.S. Department of
Justice; Mr. Kevin J. Kurland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Export Enforcement, Bureau on Industry and Security, U.S.
Department of Commerce; and Mr. James R. Mancuso, Assistant
Director, Global Trade and Investigations Division, Homeland
Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
I. Examining the Findings and Recommendations of GAO's 2024 Report on
Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication
and Achieve Financial Benefits. May 15, 2024. S. Hrg. 118-341.
The Subcommittee held its annual hearing regarding the
Government Accountability Office's (GAO) 2024 report on overlap
and duplication of government programs, titled ``Additional
Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication
and Achieve Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits.'' Since
2011, GAO has annually compiled a report that identifies areas
of inefficiency in federal operations, and recommends
opportunities to achieve financial benefits through better
management. The hearing focused on specific findings in this
year's report. In addition, the Subcommittee discussed ways for
Congress to provide commonsense solutions to the issues raised
by GAO to 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.
III. GAO Reports
During the 118th Congress, the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) issued 13 reports at the request of the
Subcommittee. Reports are listed here by title, GAO number, and
release date.
Veterans Benefits: VA Could Enhance Outreach for Its Solid
Start Program by Increasing Collaboration with Veterans
Organizations. GAO-23-105699. January 5, 2023.
U.S. Postal Service: Few Differences in On-Time Performance
Between Rural and Urban Areas. GAO-23-105169. January 12, 2023.
Department of Education: Additional Data Collection Would
Help Assess the Performance of a Program Supporting College
Students with Disabilities. GAO-23-105551. February 15, 2023.
Information Technology: DHS Needs to Continue Addressing
Critical Legacy Systems. GAO-23-106853. May 31, 2023.
Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Opportunities to
Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve
Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits. GAO-23-106864. June
14, 2023.
Cybersecurity Workforce: National Initiative Needs to
Better Assess Its Performance. GAO-23-105945. July 27, 2023.
COVID-19: Insights and Actions for Fraud Prevention. GAO-
24-107157. November 14, 2023.
401(K) Plans: Additional Federal Actions Would Help
Participants Track and Consolidate Their Retirement Savings.
GAO-24-103577. January 18, 2024.
Small Business Administration: Targeted Outreach about
Disaster Assistance Could Benefit Rural Communities. GAO-24-
106755. February 22, 2024.
VA Health Care: Organization of the Office of Mental Health
and Suicide Prevention. GAO-24-106023. February 29, 2024.
Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Opportunities to
Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve
Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits. GAO-24-107554. May
15, 2024.
Higher Education: Education Could Improve Information on
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. GAO-24-105614.
May 29, 2024.
Child Care Accessibility: Agencies Can Further Coordinate
to Better Serve Families with Disabilities. GAO-24-106843.
September 12, 2024.
Supplemental Material for GAO-24-106843: Strengthening
Federal Government Coordination to Help Families with
Disabilities Access Child Care. GAO-24-107735. September 12,
2024.
Future of Cybersecurity: Leadership Needed to Fully Define
Quantum Threat Mitigation Strategy. GAO-25-107703. November 21,
2024.
Export Controls: Commerce Implemented Advanced
Semiconductor Rules and Took Steps to Address Compliance
Challenges. GAO-25-107386. December 2, 2024.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
AND BORDER MANAGEMENT
CHAIRMAN: Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
RANKING MEMBER: James Lankford (R-OK)
The following is the Activity Report of the Subcommittee on
Government Operations and Border Management for the 118th
Congress.
I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
A. Jurisdiction
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.
B. Subcommittee Chairs
Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona Chaired the Subcommittee
from its founding in 2021 through 2024.
C. 117th Congress
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee was founded and
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona, became its Chair.
Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, became Ranking
Minority Member. During the Congress, Senator Sinema changed
her party designation to Independent. Under their Leadership,
the Subcommittee held six hearings on topics ranging from
perspectives on and improvements to be made at the Southwestern
Border, critical infrastructure needs at US Border points of
entry, Executive Branch human resources modernization, and the
effects of extreme heat on the US Postal Service. In her
capacity as Chair, Senator Sinema, introduced seven pieces of
legislation which were referred to the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee.
D. 118th Congress
In the 118th Congress, Senators Sinema and Lankford
continued their respective tenures as Chair and Ranking
Minority Member. The leadership of Senators Sinema and Lankford
was instrumental in forging bipartisan consensus on a number of
issues of national importance. Notably, in reaching a historic
bipartisan US Border Security Agreement, in conjunction with
Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, then- Chair of
the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Homeland
Security. The Agreement ultimately did not pass the Senate, but
as with many of the Chair's other initiatives, served as a
major driver of policy discussion in the Senate for the
remainder of the Congress. The Subcommittee also held two
hearings on the effects of migration on Southern Border
Communities and on the Department of Homeland Security's
responsibilities after the end of COVID-19 era Title 42
authority. Senator Sinema retired from the Senate at the
conclusion of the 118th Congress.
II. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS DURING THE 118TH
CONGRESS
A. Examining the Effects of Increased Migration on Communities along
the Southern Border. April 26, 2023. (S. Hrg. 118-244)
Immigration and border policies fall squarely under the
purview of the federal government. However, many of the impacts
associated with these policies are borne by border communities.
When migration increases, these localities must balance the
additional burden of ensuring safety and security, while
continuing to provide the regular services expected by their
citizens.
While Congress has appropriated funding to help cover costs
incurred by local governments and non-profits to provide
shelter, food, and transportation for migrants, there are flaws
with the allocation of these resources. This funding is not
holistic, and many costs are not eligible for reimbursement-
including property damage, local emergency response, and
certain medical expenses. Additionally, there are many non-
monetary effects on these local communities, including local
government employees that are shifted away from providing
services for residents. This hearing will evaluate all of these
effects on local communities along the Southern Border.
Witnesses: The Honorable Douglas Nicholls, Mayor, City of
Yuma; The Honorable Clea McCaa II, Mayor, City of Sierra Vista;
Francisco Garcia, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy County Administrator and
Chief Medical Officer, Pima County; Kevin Hearod, Chief,
McAlester Police Department.
B. After Apprehension: Tracing DHS Responsibilities after Title 42.
September 6, 2023. (S. Hearing 118-XXX)
The Department of Homeland Security's process for migrants
after they have been apprehended at the Southwest border is
complex, and the operational policies change frequently.
Migrants are subject to different pathways and procedures
depending on their demographics, including age, nationality,
and family unit status. The relevant Department of Homeland
Security components must work together to vet migrants for any
criminal ties and determine next steps, which can include a
credible fear screening, transfer to ICE custody, enrollment in
an alternatives to detention program, and providing a notice to
appear.
These processes have seen significant change after the
Title 42 public health order, ended on May 11, 2023. In order
to conduct effective oversight, Congress must understand how
this process works on-the-ground for the relevant agencies.
This hearing examined this process and identify systemic
inefficiencies and ways to improve this process to help keep
Americans safe and secure while treating migrants fairly and
humanely.
Witnesses: David S. BeMiller, Chief, Law Enforcement
Operations Directorate, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and
Border Protection; Matthew Davies, Executive Director,
Admissibility and Passenger Programs, Office of Field
Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Daniel A.
Bible, Deputy Executive Associate Director, Enforcement and
Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
Andrew Davidson, Acting Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services.
III. LEGISLATION
The Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border
Management plays 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 118th Congress, Chair Sinema and Ranking Member
Lankford together introduced the following legislative
proposals in their capacity as a Senators:
S. 59--the Chance to Compete Act of 2024 (Pub. L. 118-188)
S. 61--the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act
S. 108--the Guidance Clarity Act
S. 111--the Providing Accountability Through Transparency
Act (Pub. L. 118-9)
S. 135--the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act
S. 243--A bill 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. 349--the Military Spouse Employment Act (as amendment to
Pub. L. 118-31)
S. 1443--the Protecting the Border from Unmanned Aircraft
Systems Act
S. 1444--the Border Patrol Enhancement Act (as amendment to
Pub. L. 118-31)
S. 3015--the Telework Reform Act
S. 4263--the Early Participation in Regulations Act
S. 4264--the SMART Act of 2024
S. 4676--the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act
S. 5309--the SAFE Contracting Act
IV. GAO REPORTS
During the 118th Congress, the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) issued 10 reports at the request of the
Subcommittee. Reports are listed here by title, GAO number, and
release date.
Government Performance Management: Actions Needed to
Improve Transparency of Cross-Agency Priority Goals. GAO-23-
106354. April 4, 2023.
VA Health Care: Office of Rural Health Would Benefit from
Improved Communication and Developing Performance Goals. GAO-
23-105855. May 4, 2023.
Cybersecurity Workforce: National Initiative Needs to
Better Assess Its Performance. GAO-23-105945. July 27, 2023.
Federal Contracting: Agencies Can Better Monitor E-Verify
Compliance. GAO-24-106219. October 3, 2023.
Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Status of Monitoring and
Main Street Lending Program. GAO-24-106482. December 22, 2023.
Aviation Security: Transportation Security Administration
Could Further Improve Officer Engagement. GAO-24-106052.
February 27, 2024.
Federal Real Property: More Consistent Monitoring of
Asbestos Could Improve Oversight. GAO-24-106324. March 4, 2024.
Southwest Border: CBP Could Take Additional Steps to
Strengthen Its Response to Incidents Involving Its Personnel.
GAO-24-106148. May 13, 2024.
Federal Real Property: Actions Needed to Better Assess
Office Sharing Pilot's Broader Applicability. GAO-24-106919.
September 11, 2024.
Federal Telework: Selected Agencies Need to Evaluate the
Potential Effects on Agency Performance. GAO-25-106316.
November 22, 2024.
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