Activities of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, 116th Congress — House Report 116-710
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This is House Report 116-710, Union Calendar No. 594, titled Activities of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed December 31, 2020. A letter of transmittal dated December 31, 2020 from Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman, to Speaker Nancy Pelosi submits the activities report under Rule XI, Clause 1(d)(1) of the Rules of the House of Representatives. The contents list oversight hearings by full committee and subcommittee, member briefings in lieu of hearings during the COVID–19 pandemic, and legislative accomplishments. They also list a summary of the oversight plan with topics such as health care, security clearances, the census, and the Postal Service.
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“Activities of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, 116th Congress — House Report 116-710.”
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1
Union Calendar No. 594
116TH CONGRESS REPORT
" HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES !
2d Session 116–710
ACTIVITIES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
DECEMBER 31, 2020
(Pursuant to House Rule XI, I(d)(1))
DECEMBER 31, 2020.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
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42–829 WASHINGTON : 2020
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM,
Washington, DC, December 31, 2020.
Hon. NANCY PELOSI,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: Under Rule XI, Clause 1(d)(1) of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, ‘‘[n]ot later than January 2
of each odd-numbered year, a committee shall submit to the House
a report on the activities of that committee.’’ Pursuant to this Rule,
I respectfully submit the activities report of the Committee on
Oversight and Reform for the 116th Congress. As required by the
Rule, a copy of this report ‘‘has been available to each member of
the [C]ommittee for . . . seven calendar days.’’
Sincerely,
CAROLYN B. MALONEY,
Chairwoman.
(III)
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CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1
II. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS ............................................................................. 2
A. Full Committee .............................................................................. 2
B. Subcommittee on National Security ............................................ 10
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations .................................. 12
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy ..................... 15
E. Subcommittee on Environment .................................................... 16
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties ..................... 19
G. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis ......................... 22
III. FORMAL BIPARTISAN MEMBER BRIEFINGS HELD IN LIEU OF
HEARINGS DURING COVID–19 PANDEMIC ....................................... 23
A. Full Committee .............................................................................. 23
B. Subcommittee on National Security ............................................ 24
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations .................................. 25
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy ..................... 26
E. Subcommittee on Environment .................................................... 26
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties ..................... 26
G. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis ......................... 27
IV. LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ....................................................... 28
A. Business Meetings (Legislation) ................................................... 28
B. Business Meeting (Subpoena) ...................................................... 29
C. Legislation Enacted into Law ....................................................... 29
D. Bills Passed by the House ............................................................ 34
E. Legislation Considered by the Committee .................................. 43
F. Postal Naming Measures Enacted into Law ............................... 47
G. Postal Naming Measures Passed by the House .......................... 51
H. Postal Naming Measures Approved by the Committee ............. 53
V. SUMMARY OF OVERSIGHT PLAN AND CORRESPONDING AC-
TIONS ......................................................................................................... 53
A. Full Committee .............................................................................. 55
i. Health Care and Increasing Drug Prices .................................. 55
ii. Executive Branch Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability 57
iii The President’s Business Interests, Conflicts of Interest,
and Emoluments ...................................................................... 58
iv. Security Clearances ................................................................... 65
v. Voting Rights, Voter Suppression, and Election Security ....... 65
vi. Environment and Public Health .............................................. 66
vii. Immigration .............................................................................. 67
viii Workers’ Rights and Protections ............................................ 69
ix. Homeland and National Security ............................................. 70
x. Criminal Justice Reform ............................................................ 72
xi. Census ........................................................................................ 72
xii. Postal Service ........................................................................... 73
xiii. Cybersecurity and Privacy ..................................................... 74
xiv. Electronic Location Data ........................................................ 75
xv. Student Loans and For-Profit Colleges ................................... 76
xvi. Title ix and Campus Sexual Assault ..................................... 76
xvii. Government Contracting ....................................................... 77
B. Subcommittee on National Security ............................................ 78
i. War in Afghanistan ..................................................................... 78
ii. Veterans and Related Issues ..................................................... 78
iii. U.S. Foreign Policy and Counterterrorism ............................. 79
iv. Homeland Security .................................................................... 80
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations .................................. 81
i. Federal Information Technology and Cybersecurity Policy ..... 81
ii. Administration Reorganization Plans ...................................... 82
iii. Protections for Whistleblowers ................................................ 82
iv. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ................. 83
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Page
v. Intergovernmental Affairs ......................................................... 83
vi. Federal Property Management and Procurement .................. 84
vii. Support for the Federal Workforce ......................................... 84
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy ..................... 85
i. Carcinogens in Consumer Talc Products ................................... 85
ii. Youth E-Cigarette Epidemic and JUUL .................................. 85
iii. Coronavirus-Related Waste, Fraud, and Abuse ..................... 87
iv. For-Profit Colleges and Student Debt ..................................... 89
v. Privacy and Cybersecurity ......................................................... 89
vi. Payday Lending ......................................................................... 89
vii. Treasury Department’s Opportunity Zones Program ............ 90
E. Subcommittee on Environment .................................................... 90
i. Environmental Regulatory Reform Efforts and their Impacts 90
ii. Transparency in Executive Branch Environmental Actions .. 91
iii. Storage of Nuclear Waste ......................................................... 91
iv. Natural Disasters ...................................................................... 92
v. Climate Change and the Development of Alternative Energy
Sources ..................................................................................... 92
vi. Public Health Implications of Government Actions and Poli-
cies ............................................................................................ 93
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties ..................... 93
i. Voting Rights ............................................................................... 93
ii. Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, and Assembly ................ 94
iii. Equal Protection and Respect for Equal Rights Throughout
Society ...................................................................................... 94
iv. Property Rights ......................................................................... 95
v. Immigration ................................................................................ 95
vi. Census ........................................................................................ 96
vii. Criminal Justice Reform .......................................................... 96
VI. SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES AND AC-
TIONS ......................................................................................................... 97
A. Additional Oversight and Investigations of the Full Committee
and Standing Subcommittees .................................................... 97
i. Coronavirus Pandemic ................................................................ 97
ii. President’s Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress
(Impeachment) ......................................................................... 98
iii. Scientific Integrity in Health Policymaking ........................... 99
iv. Inspector General Independence .............................................. 100
v. Federal Vacancies and Acting Officials .................................... 100
vi. Facial Recognition Technology ................................................. 101
vii. Paid Leave for Federal Employees ......................................... 101
viii. Childhood Trauma .................................................................. 102
B. Oversight Activities of the Select Subcommittee on the
Coronavirus Crisis ...................................................................... 103
i. White House Coronavirus Task Force ....................................... 103
ii. Loan to Eastman Kodak Company ........................................... 104
iii. Operation Warp Speed ............................................................. 104
iv. Political Interference in Public Health .................................... 105
v. HHS Coronavirus Advertising Campaign ................................ 105
vi. Challenges to Reopening K–12 Schools ................................... 105
vii. Farmers to Families Food Box Program ................................ 106
viii. Economic Impact Payments ................................................... 106
xi. Protecting Homeowners and Renters During the Pandemic . 106
x. Free, Fair, and Safe Elections During the Pandemic .............. 107
xi. Paycheck Protection Program .................................................. 107
xii. Emergency Lending Facilities ................................................. 108
xiii. Payroll Support Program ........................................................ 108
C. Official Travel/Delegations ........................................................... 109
D. State and District Level Reports ................................................. 109
VII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 2(n) OF HOUSE RULE
XI ................................................................................................................. 110
VIII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (p) OF HOUSE RULE
XI ................................................................................................................. 116
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Calendar No. 594
116TH CONGRESS REPORT
" HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES !
2d Session 116–710
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND
REFORM
DECEMBER 31, 2020.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State
of the Union and ordered to be printed
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY, from the Committee on Oversight and
Reform, submitted the following
R E P O R T
I. INTRODUCTION
During the 116th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and Re-
form and its subcommittees held 134 hearings, as well as several
virtual Member briefings in addition to hearings beginning in
March 2020 when House offices began teleworking in response to
the COVID–19 pandemic. The Committee issued 238 state and dis-
trict level staff reports for Members of the House covering issues
ranging from drug prices to census data to climate change. In addi-
tion, 16 bills advanced by the Committee were enacted into law. An
additional 33 bills, not including postal naming measures, were
passed by the House. Seven of those House-passed bills may be en-
acted into law in the final days of the 116th Congress after the fil-
ing of this report.
Major investigations conducted during the 116th Congress in-
cluded the high cost of prescription drugs; the federal response and
other issues related to the COVID–19 pandemic; efforts to combat
the opioid crisis; barriers to health care access; self-dealing and vio-
lations of ethics laws by senior Executive Branch officials; the
President’s conflicts of interest; security clearances and safe-
guarding classified information; voting rights, voter suppression,
and election security; climate change; child separation; workers’
rights and protections; efforts by senior Administration and White
House officials to rush the transfer of highly sensitive U.S. nuclear
technology to Saudi Arabi; preparations for the 2020 Decennial
Census and the Trump Administration’s efforts to add a citizenship
question; mismanagement and challenges facing the Postal Service;
cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer protection issues; and the
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President’s conditioning of a White House visit and critical U.S.
military assistance for Ukraine in exchange for a promise that the
Ukrainian President would conduct an investigation into President
Trump’s political rival, then-former Vice President Joe Biden, and
into a discredited theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that
interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
At the beginning of the 116th Congress, the Committee Chair
was Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and the Ranking Member was Rep.
Jim Jordan. Chairman Cummings passed away on October 17,
2019. On November 20, 2019, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney was se-
lected to succeed Chairman Cummings as Chair of the Committee.
On June 29, 2020, Rep. James R. Comer was selected to replace
Jim Jordan as Ranking Member.
To carry out its duties as effectively as possible, at the beginning
of the 116th Congress, the Committee established the following five
standing subcommittees: Subcommittee on National Security; Sub-
committee on Government Operations; Subcommittee on Economic
and Consumer Policy; Subcommittee on Environment; and Sub-
committee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. On April 23, 2020,
in response to the COVID–19 pandemic, the House passed H. Res.
935 establishing the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Cri-
sis as an additional investigative subcommittee of the Committee
on Oversight and Reform.
This report describes the Committee’s major oversight and legis-
lative accomplishments, provides a summary of Committee and
Subcommittee proceedings, and summarizes activities of the Sub-
committees during the 116th Congress.
II. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
A. FULL COMMITTEE
In the 116th Congress, the full Committee held 45 hearings, re-
ceiving testimony from 201 witnesses. Those hearings include:
Hearing on ‘‘Examining the Actions of Drug Companies in Rais-
ing Prescription Drug Prices’’ (January 29, 2019). Witnesses: Dr.
Gerard Anderson, Professor of Health Policy and Management,
Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Catherine Alicia Georges, National
Volunteer President, AARP; Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, Associate Pro-
fessor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Mr. Avik S.A. Roy,
President, The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity; Ms.
Antroinette Worsham, Mother of Two Insulin-Dependent Daugh-
ters.
Hearing on ‘‘H.R. 1: Strengthening Ethics Rules for the Executive
Branch’’ (February 6, 2019).
Witnesses: Mr. Scott Amey, General Counsel, Project on Govern-
ment Oversight; Mrs. Karen Hobert Flynn, President, Common
Cause; Mr. Rudy Mehrbani, Spitzer Fellow and Senior Counsel,
Brennan Center for Justice; Mr. Walter Shaub Jr., Senior Advisor,
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington; Mr. Bradley
A. Smith, Chairman, Institute for Free Speech.
Hearing ‘‘With Michael Cohen, Former Attorney to President
Donald Trump’’ (February 27, 2019). Witness: Mr. Michael Cohen,
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Former Attorney for Donald Trump.
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Hearing on ‘‘GAO’s 2019 High Risk Report’’ (March 6, 2019). Wit-
ness: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, Govern-
ment Accountability Office.
Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Response to the Drug
Crisis’’ (March 7, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable James W. Car-
roll Jr., Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Mr. Mike
McDaniel, Director, Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area;
Ms. Triana McNeil, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
Hearing on ‘‘FOIA: Examining Transparency Under the Trump
Administration’’ (March 13, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Timothy R. Epp,
Acting Director, National FOIA Office, Office of General Counsel,
Environmental Protection Agency; Ms. Melanie Ann Pustay, Direc-
tor, Office of Information Policy, Department of Justice; Ms. Rachel
Spector, Acting Deputy Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer,
Department of the Interior.
Hearing ‘‘With Commerce Secretary, Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.’’ (March
14, 2019). Witness: Wilbur Ross, Secretary, Department of Com-
merce.
Hearing on ‘‘Member Day’’ (March 28, 2019). Witnesses: The
Honorable Mo Brooks, Member of Congress, AL–05; The Honorable
Mike Gallagher, Member of Congress, WI–08; The Honorable
Derek Kilmer, Member of Congress, WA–06; The Honorable Paul
Mitchell, Member of Congress, MI–10; The Honorable Christopher
H. Smith, Member of Congress, MJ–04; The Honorable Jackie
Speier, Member of Congress, CA–14; The Honorable Tim Walberg,
Member of Congress, MI–07.
Hearing on ‘‘The Need for Leadership to Combat Climate Change
and Protect National Security’’ (April 9, 2019). Witnesses: The Hon-
orable Charles T. Hagel, Former Secretary of Defense, Former
United States Senator; The Honorable John F. Kerry, Former Sec-
retary of State, Former United States Senator.
Hearing on ‘‘The Financial Condition of the Postal Service’’ (April
30, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Megan J. Brennan, Post-
master General, United States Postal Service; Ms. Margaret M.
Cigno, Director, Office of Accountability and Compliance, Postal
Regulatory Commission; Mr. Joel Quadracci, Charmain, President,
and Chief Executive Office, Quad/Graphics; Mr. Fredric V. Rolando,
President, National Association of Letter Carriers; Mr. Chris
Edwards, Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute.
Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Response to the Drug
Crisis, Part II’’ (May 9, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable James W.
Carroll Jr., Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Ms.
Triana McNeil, Acting Director Homeland Security and Justice,
Government Accountability Office; Ms. Karyl Thomas Rattay, M.D.,
M.S., Director, Delaware Division of Public Health; Sheriff Wayne
Ivey, Brevard County, Florida.
Hearing on ‘‘DOD Inspector General Report on Excess Profits by
TransDigm Group, Inc.’’ (May 15, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable
Kevin Fahey, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, De-
partment of Defense; The Honorable Glenn Fine, Acting Inspector
General, Department of Defense; Mr. Nicholas Howley, Executive
Chairman and Founder, TransDigm; Ms. Theresa Hull, Assistant
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Inspector General for Acquisition, Office of Inspector General, De-
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partment of Defense; Mr. Kevin Stein, Chief Executive Officer,
TransDigm.
Hearing on ‘‘HIV Prevention Drug: Billions in Corporate Profits
after Millions in Taxpayer Investments’’ (May 16, 2019). Witnesses:
Mr. Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilead
Sciences, Inc.; Dr. Robert M. Grant, Professor of Medicine, Univer-
sity of California; Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Chief, Division of Infec-
tious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor of Medi-
cine, Harvard University; Mr. Tim Horn, Director, Medication Ac-
cess and Pricing, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS
Directors (NASTAD); Dr. Aaron Lord, PrEP Patient and Advocate;
Mr. Stephen Ezell, Vice President, Global Innovation Policy, Infor-
mation Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Facial Recognition Technology (Part I): Its Impact
on our Civil Rights and Liberties’’ (May 22, 2019). Witnesses: Ms.
Joy Buolamwini, Founder, Algorithmic Justice League; Mr. Andrew
G. Ferguson, Professor of Law, University of the District of Colum-
bia, David A. Clarke School of Law; Ms. Clare Garvie, Senior Asso-
ciate, Georgetown University Law Center, Center on Privacy &
Technology; Ms. Neema Singh Guliani, Senior Legislative Counsel,
American Civil Liberties Union; Dr. Cedric Alexander, Former
President, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Execu-
tives.
Hearing on ‘‘Facial Recognition Technology (Part II): Ensuring
Transparency in Government Use’’ (June 4, 2019). Witnesses: Ms.
Kimberly J. Del Greco, Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Justice
Information Services, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Dr. Gretta
L. Goodwin, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Govern-
ment Accountability Office; Mr. Austin Gould, Assistant Adminis-
trator, Requirements and Capabilities Analysis, Transportation Se-
curity Administration; Dr. Charles H. Romine, Director, Informa-
tion Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and
Technology.
Hearing on ‘‘Medical Experts: Inadequate Federal Approach to
Opioid Treatment and the Need to Expand Care’’ (June 19, 2019).
Witnesses: Dr. Susan R. Bailey, President-elect, American Medical
Association; Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Chief Executive Officer/Executive
Vice President, American Psychological Association; Ms. Angela
Gray BSN, RN, Nurse Director, Berkeley-Morgan County Board of
Health, West Virginia; Dr. Yngvild K. Olsen, Vice President, Amer-
ican Society of Addiction Medicine; Ms. Jean Ross RN, President,
National Nurses United; Dr. Nancy K. Young, Executive Director,
Children and Family Futures.
Hearing on ‘‘Identifying, Resolving, and Preventing
Vulnerabilities in TSA’s Security Operations’’ (June 25, 2019). Wit-
nesses: Mr. Donald Bumgardner, Deputy Assistant Inspector Gen-
eral, Office of Inspector General; Mr. Charles M. Johnson Jr., Man-
aging Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government
Accountability Office; The Honorable David P. Pekoske, Adminis-
trator, Transportation Security Administration, Department of
Homeland Security.
Hearing on ‘‘Violations of the Hatch Act Under the Trump Ad-
ministration’’ (June 26, 2019). Witness: The Honorable Henry J.
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Kerner, Special Counsel, Office of Special Counsel.
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Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Attack on the ACA: Re-
versal in Court Case Threatens Health Care for Millions of Ameri-
cans’’ (July 10, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Abbe Gluck, Director and
Professor of Law, Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy, Yale
University Law School; Mr. Frederick Isasi, Executive Director,
Families, U.S.A; Ms. Casey Dye, Patient/Consumer, Monroeville,
Pennsylvania; Mr. Peter Morley, Patient/Consumer, New York,
New York; Mr. Paul Gibbs, Patient/Consumer, West Valley, Utah;
Ms. Stephanie Burton, Patient/Consumer, Kansas City, Missouri;
Mr. David Balat, Director, Right on Healthcare Initiative, Texas
Public Policy Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Childhood
Trauma: Pervasive Public Health Issue that Needs Greater Federal
Attention’’ (July 11, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. William Kellibrew,
Founder, The William Kellibrew Foundation; Ms. Heather Martin,
Executive Director and Co-Founder, The Rebels Project; Mr. Justin
Miller, Deputy Executive Director, Objective Zero Foundation; Ms.
Creeana Rygg, Survivor and Activist; Dr. Debra Houry, Director,
National Center for Injury Prevention & Control, Center for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention; Mr. James Henry, Former Deputy
Governor & Chief of Staff, State of Tennessee; Mr. Charles Patter-
son, Health Commissioner, Clark County, Ohio; Dr. Christina
Bethell, Director, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Ini-
tiative; Dr. Denese Shervington, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry,
Tulane University School of Medicine.
Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Child Separation Pol-
icy: Substantiated Allegations of Mistreatment’’ (July 12, 2019).
Witnesses: The Honorable Veronica Escobar, Member of Congress,
TX–16; The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Member of Con-
gress, NY–14; The Honorable Ayanna Pressley, Member of Con-
gress, MA–07; The Honorable Rashida Tlaib, Member of Congress,
MI–13; Ms. Jennifer L. Costello, Acting Inspector General, Depart-
ment of Homeland Security; Mr. Thomas D. Homan, Former Acting
Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Ms. Ann Max-
well, Assistant Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections,
Department of Health and Human Services; Ms. Elora Mukherjee,
Director, Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, Columbia Law School; Ms.
Jennifer Nagda, Policy Director, Young Center for Immigrant Chil-
dren’s Rights.
Hearing on ‘‘Violations of the Hatch Act Under the Trump Ad-
ministration, Part II: Kellyanne Conway’’ (July 15, 2019). Expected
Witness: Ms. Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President, The
White House. (Although the Committee issued a subpoena compel-
ling the expected witness’s testimony, the witness failed to appear at
this hearing.)
Hearing ‘‘With the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin
K. McAleenan’’ (July 18, 2019). Witness: The Honorable Kevin K.
McAleenan.
Hearing ‘‘The Patient Perspective: The Devastating Impacts of
Skyrocketing Drug Prices on American Families’’ (July 26, 2019).
Witnesses: Ms. Ashley Krege, Patient, Houston, Texas; Ms. Sa’ra
Skipper, Patient, Indianapolis, Indiana; Ms. Pam Holt, Patient,
Grangier, Indiana; Mr. David Mitchell, Patient, Founder, Patients
for Affordable Drugs, Bethesda, Maryland; Ms. Laura McLinn,
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Mother of Patient, Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Hearing on ‘‘H.R. 51: Making D.C. the 51st State’’ (September 19,
2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor, District of
Columbia; Mr. Jeffrey S. DeWitt, Chief Financial Officer, District
of Columbia; The Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Council of
the District of Columbia; Mr. Kerwin Miller, Veteran and District
of Columbia Resident; Dr. Roger Pilon, B. Kenneth Simon Chair,
Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute; Mr. Kenneth Thomas, Legis-
lative Attorney, Congressional Research Service.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining State Efforts to Undermine Access to Re-
productive Health Care’’ (November 14, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Jen-
nifer Box, St. Louis, Missouri; Ms. Fatima Goss Graves, President
and Chief Executive Officer, National Women’s Law Center; Ms.
Marcela Howell, Founder and President/Chief Executive Officer, In
Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice
Agenda; Dr. Colleen McNicholas, OB/GYN, Chief Medical Officer,
Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Mis-
souri; Ms. Allie Stuckey, Carrollton, Texas.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining the Need for Comprehensive National
Paid Family and Medical Leave’’ (December 10, 2019). Witnesses:
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro, Congresswoman, CT–03; Ms. Jacqui
Silvani, Newfields, New Hampshire; The Honorable Robert Asaro-
Angelo, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Labor and
Workforce Development; Mr. Aaron Seyedian, Founder, Well-Paid
Maids; Ms. Jennifer Tucker, Senior Policy Advisor, The National
Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Ms. Vicki Shabo, Senior Fel-
low, Paid Leave Policy and Strategy, Better Life Lab, New Amer-
ica,; Ms. Rachel Greszler, Research Fellow, Economics, Budget, and
Entitlements, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘H.R. 51: Making D.C. the 51st State’’ (December 19,
2020). The Committee continued its hearing on H.R. 51, the Wash-
ington, D.C. Admission Act, which recessed on September 19, 2019.
Prior to the completion of the September 19 hearing, Ranking
Member Jim Jordan and other Republican Committee Members
sent a letter pursuant to House Rule XI, Clause 2(j)(1) requesting
six additional witnesses for a subsequent minority day of hearings.
Witnesses invited: The Honorable Jack Evans, Member, Council of
the District of Columbia; Corbett A. Price, Former Board Member,
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Clarence C.
Crawford, Former Board Member, Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority; Lynn Bowersox, Senior Vice President, Wash-
ington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Jennifer Ellison,
Board Corporate Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority; Patricia Y. Lee, General Counsel, Washington Metro-
politan Area Transit Authority. (The witnesses declined to attend in
response to the minority’s request, and the hearing was adjourned.)
Hearing on ‘‘Reaching Hard-to-Count Communities in the 2020
Census’’ (January 9, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Kevin Allis, Chief Exec-
utive Officer, National Congress of American Indians; Ms. Vanita
Gupta, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Leadership Con-
ference on Civil and Human Rights; Mr. Darrell Moore, Executive
Director, Center for South Georgia Regional Impact, Valdosta State
University; Mr. Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Offi-
cer, National Urban League; Mr. Arturo Vargas, Chief Executive
Officer, NALEO Educational Fund; Mr. John Yang, President and
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
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Hearing on ‘‘Facial Recognition Technology (Part III): Ensuring
Commercial Transparency & Accuracy’’ (January 15, 2020). Wit-
nesses: Ms. Brenda Leong, Senior Counsel and Director of AI and
Ethics, Future of Privacy Forum; Dr. Charles Romine, Director, In-
formation Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards
and Technology; Ms. Meredith Whittaker, Co-Founder and Co-Di-
rector, AI Now Institute, New York University; Mr. Daniel Castro,
Vice President and Director of Center for Data Innovation, Infor-
mation Technology and Innovation Foundation; Mr. Jake Parker,
Senior Director of Government Relations, Security Industry Asso-
ciation.
Hearing on ‘‘75 Years After the Holocaust: The Ongoing Battle
Against Hate’’ (January 29, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Nat Shaffir, Hol-
ocaust Survivor; Mr. Brad Orsini, Senior National Security Advi-
sor, Secure Community Network, Former Director of Community
Security, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh; Dr. Edna
Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum;
Mr. Jonathan Greenblatt, Chief Executive Officer, Anti-Defamation
League; Ms. Hilary O. Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau &
Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, National Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Colored People; Mr. Dore Gold, Presi-
dent, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Former Israeli Ambas-
sador to the U.N., Former Director General, Israel Ministry of For-
eign Affairs. ‘‘Hearing with Census Bureau Director, Dr. Steven
Dillingham’’ (February 12, 2020). Witnesses: The Honorable Dr.
Steven Dillingham, Director, United States Census Bureau; Mr.
Nick Marinos, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity,
Government Accountability Office; Mr. J. Christopher Mihm, Man-
aging Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Mr. Albert E. Fontenot, Associate Director of the Decennial Census
Programs, United States Census Bureau.
Hearing on ‘‘Voter Suppression in Minority Communities: Learn-
ing from the Past to Protect Our Future’’ (February 26, 2020). Wit-
nesses: Ms. Diane Nash, Civil Rights Activist, Founding Member,
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; Reverend Doctor Wil-
liam J. Barber II, President, Repairers of the Breach and Co-Chair,
Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; Mr.
Timothy L. Jenkins, Board Member, Teaching for Change Board
Member, Civil Rights Movement Archive, Student Nonviolent Co-
ordination Committee; Ms. Marcia Johnson-Blanco, Co-Director,
Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under
Law.
Hearing on ‘‘The Administration’s Religious Liberty Assault on
LGBTQ Rights’’ (February 27, 2020). Witnesses: The Honorable
Sean Patrick Maloney, Member of Congress, NY–18; The Honor-
able Mark Takano, Member of Congress, CA–41; The Honorable Jo-
seph P. Kennedy, Member of Congress, MA–04; The Honorable
Mike Kelly, Member of Congress, PA–16; Ms. Sarah Warbelow,
Legal Director, Human Rights Campaign; Reverend Stan J. Sloan,
Chief Executive Officer, Family Equality Council; Mr. Ernesto
Olivares, San Antonio, Texas; Mr. Evan Minton, Livermore, Cali-
fornia; Mr. Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel, First Liberty
Institute.
Hearing on ‘‘Coronavirus Preparedness and Response’’ (March
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
11–12, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National In-
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8
stitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of
Health; Dr. Robert Redfield, Director, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention; Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary, Prepared-
ness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services;
Dr. Terry M. Rauch, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight, Department of Defense;
Mr. Chris Currie, Director, Emergency Management and National
Preparedness, Government Accountability Office.
Hearing on ‘‘No Worker Left Behind: Supporting Essential Work-
ers’’ (June 10, 2020). Witnesses: Ms. Eneida Becote, Wife of Ed-
ward Becote, Essential Worker who died from coronavirus; Ms.
Bonnie Castillo, Executive Director, National Nurses United, Cali-
fornia Nurses Association, & National Nurses Organizing Com-
mittee; Mr. John Costa, International President, Amalgamated
Transit Union; Mr. Clint Odom, Senior Vice President for Policy
and Advocacy Executive Director, National Urban League, Wash-
ington Bureau; Mr. Anthony ‘‘Marc’’ Perrone, International Presi-
dent, United Food & Commercial Workers International Union; Mr.
Avik S.A. Roy, President, Foundation for Research on Equal Oppor-
tunity.
Hearing on ‘‘U.S. Cybersecurity Preparedness and H.R. 7331, the
National Cyber Director Act’’ (July 15, 2020). Witnesses: The Hon-
orable James R. Langevin, Commissioner, U.S. Cyberspace Solar-
ium Commission, Member of Congress, RI–02; The Honorable Mike
Gallagher, Co-Chair, U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, Mem-
ber of Congress, WI–08; The Honorable Michael J. Rogers, David
Abshire Chair, Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress,
Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
(2011–2015); Mr. J. Michael Daniel, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Cyber Threat Alliance, White House Cybersecurity Coordi-
nator (2012–2017); Mr. Amit Yoran, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, Tenable, Founding Director, U.S. Computer Emergency
Readiness Team (US-CERT) (2003–2004); Ms. Suzanne Spaulding,
Senior Adviser, Homeland Security, International Security Pro-
gram, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Commissioner,
U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission; Mr. Jamil N. Jaffer,
Founder & Executive Director, National Security Institute, George
Mason University.
Hearing on ‘‘F–35 Joint Strike Fighter: Ensuring Safety and Ac-
countability in the Government’s Trillion Dollar Investment’’ (July
22, 2020). Witnesses: Lieutenant General Eric T. Fick, Program Ex-
ecutive Officer, F–35 Joint Program Office, Department of Defense;
Ms. Theresa Hull, Assistant Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Defense; The Honorable Ellen Lord, Under Secretary for Acquisi-
tions and Sustainment, Department of Defense; Ms. Diana Maurer,
Director, Government Accountability Office, Defense Capabilities
and Management; Mr. Greg Ulmer, Vice President and General
Manager, F–35 Lightning II Program, Lockheed Martin Corpora-
tion.
Hearing on ‘‘Counting Every Person: Safeguarding the 2020 Cen-
sus Against the Trump Administration’s Unconstitutional Attacks’’
(July 29, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Vincent Barabba, Former Director,
Census Bureau; Dr. Steven Dillingham, Director, Census Bureau;
Mr. John Eastman, Professor, Henry Salvatori Professor of Law
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
and Community Service Director, Center for Constitutional Juris-
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9
prudence, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, on behalf of Chapman
University, Senior Fellow, Claremont Institute; Mr. Robert M.
Groves, Former Director, Census Bureau (2009–2012); Mr. Kenneth
Prewitt, Former Director, Census Bureau (1998–2001); Mr. John H.
Thompson, Former Director, Census Bureau (2013–2017).
Hearing on ‘‘The Devasting Health Impacts of Climate Change’’
(August 5, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Drew Shindell, Nicholas Distin-
guished Professor of Earth Science, Duke University; Dr. Michael
Greenstone, Milton Freidman Distinguished Service Professor in
Economics, the College, and the Harris School, Department of Eco-
nomics, University of Chicago; Dr. Neeta Thakur, Medical Director,
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Chest Clinic, Univer-
sity of California, San Francisco; Dr. Renee N. Salas, Assistant
Professor of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Mr. Mi-
chael Shellenberger, President and Founder, Environmental
Progress.
Hearing on ‘‘Protecting the Timely Delivery of Mail, Medicine,
and Mail-in Ballots’’ (August 24, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Louis
DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service; The Hon-
orable Robert Duncan, Chairman, United States Postal Service
Board of Governors.
Hearing on ‘‘Providing the Census Bureau with the Time to
Produce a Complete and Accurate Census’’ (September 10, 2020).
Witnesses: Mr. J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director, Strategic
Issues Team, Government Accountability Office; Mr. John H.
Thompson, Former Director, Census Bureau (2013–2017); Mr. Ste-
phen Roe Lewis, Governor, Gila River Indian Community; Ms.
Stacey Carless, Executive Director, NC Counts Coalition; Mr. Hans
A. von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow, Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Unsustainable Drug Prices: Testimony from the
CEOs (Part I)’’ (September 30, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Mark Alles,
Former Chief Executive Officer, Celgene Corporation; Dr. Giovanni
Caforio, Chief Executive Officer, Bristol Meyers Squibb; Mr. Kåre
Schultz, Chief Executive Officer, Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Hearing on ‘‘Unsustainable Drug Prices: Testimony from the
CEOs (Part II)’’ (October 1, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Robert Bradway,
Chief Executive Officer, Amgen, Inc.; Mr. Mark Trudeau, Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals; Mr. Thomas
Kendris, U.S. Country President, Novartis AG.
Hearing on ‘‘Ensuring the 2020 Census Count is Complete and
Accurate’’ (December 3, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. J. Christopher
Mihm, Managing Director of the Strategic Issues Team, Govern-
ment Accountability Office; Mr. Joseph Salvo, Chief Demographer,
Population Division, Department of City Planning, New York City;
Mr. Jeff Landry, Attorney General, Louisiana; Mr. Robert Santos,
Vice President and Chief Methodologist, Urban Institute, and
President-Elect, American Statistical Association.
Hearing on ‘‘The Role of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family
in the Opioid Epidemic’’ (December 17, 2020). Witnesses: David
Sackler, Former Member of the Board of Directors, Purdue Pharma
L.P.; Dr. Kathe Sackler, Former Vice President and Member of the
Board of Directors, Purdue Pharma L.P.; Craig Landau, President
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
and CEO, Purdue Pharma L.P.
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10
B. SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
Hearing on ‘‘Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Recon-
struction’s 2019 High-Risk List’’ (April 3, 2019). Witness: The Hon-
orable John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction.
Hearing on ‘‘Veteran and Active-Duty Military Suicides’’ (May 8,
2019). Witnesses: Captain (Dr.) Mike Colston, Director, Mental
Health Programs, Department of Defense; Dr. Karin Orvis, Direc-
tor, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, Department of Defense; Dr.
Richard Stone, Executive in Charge, Veterans Health Administra-
tion, Department of Veteran Affairs; Dr. Keita Franklin, National
Director for Suicide Prevention, Office of Mental Health and Sui-
cide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs; Ms. Terri
Tanielian, Senior Behavioral Scientist, Department of Veterans Af-
fairs.
Hearing on ‘‘Securing U.S. Election Infrastructure and Protecting
Political Discourse’’ (May 22, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable
Christopher Krebs, Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Se-
curity Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Adam
Hickey, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security Di-
vision, Department of Justice; The Honorable Christy McCormick,
Chairwoman, Election Assistance Commission; The Honorable
Ellen L. Weintraub Commissioner Federal Election Commission;
The Honorable Bill Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth, State
of Massachusetts; Mr. Richard Salgado, Director of Law Enforce-
ment & Information Security, Google; Mr. Nathaniel Gleicher,
Head of Cybersecurity Policy, Facebook; Mr. Kevin Kane, Public
Policy Manager, Twitter.
Hearing on ‘‘U.S. Biodefense, Preparedness, and Implications of
Antimicrobial Resistance for National Security’’ (June 26, 2019).
Witnesses: Dr. Helen Boucher, Director, Tufts Center for Inte-
grated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance, Tufts Medical
Center; Mr. Chris Currie, Director, Emergency Management, Dis-
aster Recovery and Department of Homeland Security Management
Issues, Homeland Security and Justice Team, Government Ac-
countability Office; Dr. Cham Dallas, University Professor and Di-
rector, Institute for Disaster Management, University of Michigan;
Dr. Asha George, Executive Director, Blue Ribbon Study Panel on
Biodefense.
Hearing on ‘‘Securing the Nation’s Internet Architecture’’ (Sep-
tember 10, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Jeanette Manfra, Assistant Direc-
tor for Cybersecurity, Department of Homeland Security, Cyberse-
curity and Infrastructure Agency; Ms. Diane Rinaldo, Acting As-
sistant Secretary/Administrator, Department of Commerce, Na-
tional Telecommunications and Information Administration; Mr. B.
Edwin Wilson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber
Policy, Department of Defense, Office of the Undersecretary of De-
fense for Policy.
Hearing on ‘‘Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part III): Ad-
dressing the Transnational Terrorist Threat’’ (September 20, 2019).
Witnesses: Dr. Kathleen Belew, Assistant Professor of U.S. History
and the College, The University of Chicago; Dr. Joshua Geltzer, Di-
rector, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection,
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Georgetown Law; Ms. Katrina Mulligan, Managing Director for Na-
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tional Security and International Policy, Center for American
Progress; Ms. Candace Owens, Founder, Blexit, Host, Candace
Owens Show.
Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Syria Policy: Perspec-
tives from the Field’’ (October 23, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Ilham
Ahmed, Accompanied by Translator, Co-President, Syrian Demo-
cratic Council; Mr. John Glaser, Director of Foreign Policy Studies,
Cato Institute; Mr. Martin Palmer, Former Special Forces Officer,
5th Special Forces Group; Mr. Bernice Romero, Senior Director,
International Humanitarian Response, Save the Children; Ms.
Emerita Torres, Director of Programs and Research, Soufan Cen-
ter.
Hearing on ‘‘The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency: Bringing
Our Nation’s Heroes Home’’ (November 19, 2019). Witnesses: Mr.
Kelly McKeague, Director, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency;
Mr. Mark Noah, Chief Executive Officer, History Flight; Mr. Vin-
cent ‘‘B.J.’’ Lawrence, Washington Office Executive Director, Vet-
erans of Foreign Wars of the United States; Ms. Jo Anne Shirley,
Former Chair, National League of POW/MIA Families.
Hearing on ‘‘U.S. Counterterrorism Priorities and Challenges in
Africa’’ (December 17, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Judd Devermont, Di-
rector, Africa Program, Center for Strategic & International Stud-
ies; Mr. Adotei Akwei, Deputy Director for Advocacy and Govern-
ment Relations, Amnesty International; Ms. Alexis Arieff, Spe-
cialist in African Affairs, Congressional Research Service; Mr. Josh-
ua Meservey, Senior Policy Analyst, Africa and the Middle East,
The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining the Trump Administration’s Afghanistan
Strategy’’ (January 28, 2020). Witness: The Honorable John F.
Sopko, Special Inspector General, Afghanistan Reconstruction.
Hearing on ‘‘Karshi-Khanabad: Hazardous Exposures and Effects
on U.S. Servicemembers’’ (February 27, 2020). Witnesses: Ms. Kim
E. Brooks, Spouse of Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Brooks, U.S.
Army; Mr. Scott W. Welsch, K2 Veteran, Retired Chief Warrant Of-
ficer 2, U.S. Army; Mr. Paul B. Widener Jr. K2 Veteran, Retired
Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force.
Hearing on ‘‘Empowering Women and Girls and Promoting Inter-
national Security’’ (July 23, 2020). Witnesses: The Honorable
Kelley Curie, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, De-
partment of State; The Honorable Michelle Bekkering, Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Envi-
ronment, U.S. Agency for International Development; Ms. Steph-
anie Hammond, Acting Deputy Assistant of Defense for Stability
and Humanitarian Affairs, Department of Defense; Ms. Cameron
Quinn, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Department of
Homeland Security.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining the Trump Administration’s Afghanistan
Strategy, Part 2’’ (September 22, 2020). Witnesses: Ambassador
Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan Rec-
onciliation, Department of State; Mr. David F. Helvey, Performing
the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Secu-
rity Affairs, Department of Defense.
Hearing on ‘‘Karshi-Khanabad: Honoring the Heroes of Camp
Stronghold Freedom’’ (November 18, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Patricia
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
R. Hastings, Chief Consultant, Post Deployment Health Services,
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Department of Veterans Affairs; Dr. David J. Smith, Deputy Assist-
ant Secretary of Defense for Health Readiness, Policy and Over-
sight, Department of Defense.
C. SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Hearing on ‘‘Effects of Vacancies at the Merit Systems Protection
Board’’ (February 28, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Valerie Brannon, Leg-
islative Attorney, Congressional Research Service; Mr. Thomas
Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project; Mr.
John Palguta, Former Director of Policy and Evaluation, Merit Sys-
tems Protection Board; Mr. Mark Robbins, Acting Chairman, Merit
Systems Protection Board; Mr. John York, Policy Analyst, Heritage
Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (H.R.
1076)’’ (March 13, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Ron Johnson,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs; The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Senator, New Jersey; The
Honorable Doug Collins, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judi-
ciary, U.S. House Representatives; Ms. Holly Harris, Executive Di-
rector, Justice Action Network; Ms. Teresa Hodge, Co-Founder and
Chief Executive Officer, R3 Score Technologies, Inc. (CRCL was
lead subcommittee).
Hearing on ‘‘Government Shutdowns: Contract Killers’’ (May 6,
2019). Witnesses: Mr. Roger A. Krone, Chief Executive Officer,
Leidos; Mr. Jaime Contreras, Vice President, 32BJ SEIU; Ms. Alba
M. Aleman, Chief Executive Officer, Citizant, Inc.; Mr. Wesley
Ford, President, TKI Coffee; Mr. Ed Grabowski, President, Local
2061, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Work-
ers; Mr. David Berteau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pro-
fessional Services Council; Mr. Michael Niggel, Chief Executive Of-
ficer, Advanced Concepts & Technologies; Mr. Mark Hall, Executive
Vice President, ServiceSource; Mr. Anthony Crescenzo, Chief Exec-
utive Officer, IntelliDyne, LLC; Ms. Tamela Worthen, Security
Guard, Smithsonian Institution.
Hearing on ‘‘The Administration’s War on a Merit Based Civil
Service’’ (May 21, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Margaret
Weichart, Deputy Director of Management, Office of Management
and Budget, Acting Director, Office of Personnel Management; Ms.
Triana McNeil, Acting Director of Strategic Issues, Government Ac-
countability Office; Mr. Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General,
Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General; Mr. J.
David Cox, Sr., National President, American Federation of Gov-
ernment Employees; Mr. Ken Thomas, National President, Na-
tional Active and Retired Federal Employees; Ms. Linda M. Spring-
er, Former Director, Office of Personnel Management.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining Federal Labor-Management Relations’’
(June 4, 2019). Witness: The Honorable Colleen Duffy Kiko, Chair-
man, Federal Labor Relations Authority.
Hearing on ‘‘Ensuring Quality Health Care for Our Veterans’’
(June 20, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Tammy Czarnecki, Assistant Dep-
uty Undersecretary for Health for Administrative Operations, Vet-
erans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr.
Michael Heimall, Director, Veteran Affairs Medical Center (Wash-
ington, DC); The Honorable Michael Missal, Inspector General, Of-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
fice of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Hearing on ‘‘FITARA 8.0’’ (June 26, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Jason
Gray, Chief Information Officer, Department of Education; Ms.
Carol Harris, Director, IT Management Issues, Government Ac-
countability Office; Ms. Suzette Kent, Federal Chief Information
Officer, Office of Management and Budget; Mr. Eric Olson, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Mr. Gary
Washington, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Agri-
culture.
Hearing on ‘‘Document Production Status Update: OPM, FBI,
and GSA’’ (June 27, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Stephen Billy, Deputy
Chief of Staff, Office of Personnel Management; Mr. Robert Borden,
Chief of Staff, General Services Administration; Ms. Jill Tyson, As-
sistant Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
Hearing on ‘‘To the Cloud! The Cloudy Role of FedRAMP in IT
Modernization’’ (July 17, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Anil Cheriyan, Di-
rector, Technology Transformation Services, General Services Ad-
ministration; Mr. Jack Wilmer, Deputy Chief Information Officer
for Cybersecurity, Department of Defense; Mr. Joseph Klimavicz,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief Information Officer,
Department of Justice; Mr. Jose Arrieta, Chief Information Officer,
Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. Johnathan
Berroya, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Internet As-
sociation; Mr. Douglas Barbin, Principal, Schellman & Company,
LLC; Mr. Will Ackerly, Chief Technology Officer, Virtu; Ms. Lynn
Martin, Vice President of Government, Education, and Healthcare,
VMware.
Hearing on ‘‘Restoring the Partnership: The Future of Fed-
eralism in America’’ (July 23, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Rob
Bishop, Member of Congress, UT–01; Mr. Matthew Chase, Execu-
tive Director, National Association of Counties; Ms. Teresa Gerton,
Executive Director, National Academy of Public Administration;
Dr. Carl W. Stenberg III, Former Staff Member, U.S. Advisory
Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
Hearing on ‘‘Overseeing the Overseers: Council of the Inspectors
General on Integrity and Efficiency at 10 Years’’ (September 18,
2019). Witnesses: Mr. Michael A. Horowitz, Inspector General, De-
partment of Justice, Chairman, Council of the Inspectors General
on Integrity and Efficiency; Ms. Kathy A. Buller, Inspector Gen-
eral, Peace Corps, Executive Director, Council of the Inspectors
General on Integrity and Efficiency, Legislation Committee; Mr.
Scott Dahl, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Chairman,
Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.
Hearing on ‘‘NextGen Feds: Recruiting the Next Generation of
Public Servants’’ (September 25, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable
Carolyn B. Maloney, Member of Congress, NY–12, U.S. House of
Representatives; Ms. Margot Conrad, Director, Federal Workforce
Programs, Partnership for Public Service; Mr. Robert Goldenkoff,
Director of Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office; Ms.
Rachel Greszler, Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; Mr.
Anthony Reardon, National President, National Treasury Employ-
ees Union.
Hearing on ‘‘Metro: Report Card for America’s Subway’’ (October
22, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Paul Wiedefeld, General Manager and
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Chief Executive Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Au-
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14
thority; Mr. Paul Smedberg, Chair, Board of Directors, Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Mr. Geoffrey Cherrington, In-
spector General, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority;
Mr. David L. Mayer, Chief Executive Officer, Washington Metrorail
Safety Commission.
Hearing on ‘‘FITARA 9.0’’ (December 11, 2019). Witnesses: Ms.
Elizabeth Cappello, Acting Chief Information Officer, Department
of Homeland Security; Ms. Carol Harris, Director, IT Management
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Ms. Renee Wynn, Chief
Information Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion.
Hearing on ‘‘Protecting Those Who Blow the Whistle on Govern-
ment Wrongdoing’’ (January 28, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. David K.
Colapinto, Founder and General Counsel, National Whistleblower
Center; The Honorable Glenn A. Fine, Principal Deputy Inspector
General, Department of Defense; Ms. Elizabeth Hempowicz, Direc-
tor of Public Policy, Project on Government Oversight; The Honor-
able Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, Department of Jus-
tice; Mr. Paul Rosenzweig, Resident Senior Fellow, National Secu-
rity and Cybersecurity, R Street Institute.
Hearing on ‘‘A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Admin-
istration’s Proposed Changes to the Poverty Line Calculation’’ (Feb-
ruary 5, 2020). Witnesses: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cor-
tez, Member of Congress, NY–14; Representative Carol Miller,
Member of Congress, WV–03; Sister Simone Campbell, Executive
Director, Network Lobby; Mr. Indi Dutta Gupta, Co-Executive Di-
rector, Center on Poverty, Georgetown Law; Ms. Amy Jo
Hutchison, Organizer, Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, West
Virginia; Mr. Rob Smith, Advisory Board Member, Legacy Repub-
lican Alliance.
Hearing on ‘‘Making IT a Priority for the Federal Government’’
(March 4, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Anil Cheriyan, Director, Tech-
nology Transformation Services, General Services Administration;
Ms. Carol C. Harris, Director, Information Technology and Cyber-
security, Government Accountability Office; Mr. Bill Zielinski, As-
sistant Commissioner, Office of Information Technology Category,
General Services Administration.
Hearing on ‘‘Frontline Feds: Serving the Public During a Pan-
demic’’ (June 25, 2020). Witnesses: The Honorable Jim DeMint,
Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute; Ms. Lorraine Mar-
tin, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Safety Council;
Mr. J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director for Strategic Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Ms. Jacqueline Simon, National
Policy Director, American Federation of Government Employees.
Hearing on ‘‘Federal IT Modernization: How the Coronavirus Ex-
posed Outdated Systems’’ (July 20, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Gordon
Bitko, Senior Vice President of Policy, Information Technology In-
dustry Council; Mr. Matthew Cornelius, Executive Director, Alli-
ance for Digital Innovation; Mr. Steve O’Keeffe, Founder, MeriTalk;
Ms. Hana Shank, Director of Strategic, Public Interest Technology,
New America.
Hybrid Hearing on ‘‘FITARA 10.0’’ (August 3, 2020). Witnesses:
Ms. Clare Martorana, Chief Information Officer, Office of Personnel
Management; Mr. Jason Gray, Chief Information Officer, Depart-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
ment of Education; Ms. Maria A. Roat, Deputy Federal Chief Infor-
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15
mation Officer, Office of Management and Budget; Ms. Carol Har-
ris, Director, IT Management Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Mr. David Powner, Director of Strategic Engagement and
Partnerships, The MITRE Corporation; Ms. LaVerne Council, Chief
Executive Officer, Emerald One, LLC.; Mr. Richard Spires, Prin-
cipal, Richard A. Spires Consulting.
Hearing on ‘‘Postal Update’’ (September 14, 2020). Witnesses:
Mr. S. David Fineman, Former Chairman, United States Postal
Service Board of Governors; Mr. Richard W. Painter, S. Walter
Richey Professor of Corporate Law, University of Minnesota Law
School, Former Chief White House Ethics Lawyer and Associate
Counsel to the President (2005–2007); Ms. Lisa Graves, Executive
Director and Editor-in-Chief, True Northern Research; Ms. Ann M.
Ravel, Former Federal Election Commission Chair and California
Fair Political Practices Chair, Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley
Law; Mr. Michael Plunkett, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Association for Postal Commerce (Postcom).
Hearing on ‘‘IRS in the Pandemic’’ (October 7, 2020). Witnesses:
Ms. Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate, Taxpayer Advo-
cate Service; Mr. Vijay A. D’Souza, Director, Information Tech-
nology and Cybersecurity, Government Accountability Office; Mr.
Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service.
Hearing on ‘‘The Elements of Presidential Transitions’’ (Decem-
ber 10, 2020). Witnesses: Martha Joynt Kumar, Professor Emerita,
Department of Political Science, Towson University; Max Stier,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Partnership for Public Serv-
ice; Lisa Brown, Vice President and General Counsel, Georgetown
University.
D. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND CONSUMER POLICY
Hearing on ‘‘Examining the Public Health Risks of Carcinogens
in Consumer Products’’ (March 12, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Scott
Faber, Vice President of Government Affairs, Environmental Work-
ing Group; Dr. Anne McTiernan, Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center; Mr. Marvin Salter, Son of Deceased Ovarian Can-
cer Patient.
Hearing on ‘‘Improving Data Security at Consumer Reporting
Agencies’’ (March 26, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Andrew Smith, Direc-
tor, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission;
Mr. Michael Clements, Director, Financial Markets and Commu-
nity Investment, Government Accountability Office; Mr. Mike Litt,
Consumer Campaigns Director, U.S. PIRG; Ms. Jennifer Huddle-
ston, Research Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason Univer-
sity.
Hearing on ‘‘CFPB’s Role in Empowering Predatory Lenders: Ex-
amining the Proposed Repeal of the Payday Lending Rule’’ (May
16, 2019). Witness: Mr. Thomas Pahl, Policy Associate Director for
Research, Markets & Regulations, Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining For-Profit College Oversight and Student
Debt’’ (May 22, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Lindsey Burke, Director,
Center for Education Policy, The Heritage Foundation; Mr. David
Halperin, Attorney & Counselor; Mr. Robert J. Infusino, Former
Student; Ms. Diane Auer Jones, Principal Deputy Under Secretary,
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Department of Education; Mr. Christopher Madaio, Assistant At-
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16
torney General, Consumer Protection Division, Maryland Office of
the Attorney General.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining JUUL’s Role in the Youth Nicotine Epi-
demic: Part I’’ (July 24, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Richard
Durbin, United States Senator from Illinois; Ms. Meredith
Berkman, Co-Founder, Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes; Dr.
Robert Jackler, Professor, Stanford University; Dr. Raymond
Niaura, College of Global Public Health, New York University; Ms.
Rae O’Leary, Public Health Analyst, Missouri Breaks Industries
Research; Dr. Johnathan Winickoff, Member, American Academy of
Pediatrics.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining JUUL’s Role in the Youth Nicotine Epi-
demic: Part II’’ (July 25, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Ashley Gould, Chief
Administration Officer, JUUL Labs, Inc.; Mr. James Monsees, Co-
Founder and Chief Product Officer, JUUL Labs, Inc.; Mr. Matthew
L. Myers, President, Tobacco-Free Kids.
Hearing on ‘‘Don’t Vape: Examining the Outbreak of Lung Dis-
ease and CDC’s Urgent Warning Not to Use E Cigarettes’’ (Sep-
tember 24, 2019). Witnesses: Dr. Ann Schuchat, Principal Deputy
Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Ngozi
Ezike, Director, Illinois Department of Public Health; Ms. Ruby
Johnson, Parent; Ms. Vicki Porter; Dr. Albert Rizzo, Chief Medical
Officer, American Lung Association.
Hearing on ‘‘The Federal Response to the Epidemic of E-Ciga-
rette Use, Especially Among Children, and the Food and Drug Ad-
ministration’s Compliance Policy’’ (December 4, 2019). Witness: Mr.
Mitchell Zeller, Director, Center for Tobacco Products, On behalf of
Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human
Services.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining Carcinogens in Talc and the Best Meth-
ods for Asbestos Detection’’ (December 10, 2019). Witnesses: Mr.
Alex Gorsky, Chief Executive Officer, Johnson & Johnson; Dr. Wil-
liam Longo, Scientist, Materials Analytical Services, LLC; Dr. Rod-
ney V. Metcalf, Geologist, University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Dr. Jac-
queline Moline, Physician, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Re-
search at Northwell Health; Mr. David Etheridge, Patient.
Hearing on ‘‘A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Admin-
istration’s Proposed Changes to Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility
for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’’ (February 6,
2020). Witnesses: Ms. Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President, No Kid
Hungry Campaign, Share Our Strength; Mr. Zach Pethan, Prin-
cipal, Jefferson Elementary, Sheboygan Area School District; Ms.
Diane Sullivan, Advocate, Witnesses to Hunger; Ms. Tega Toney,
Teacher, Oak Hill High School, Fayette County Schools; Mr. Sam
Adolphsen, Policy Director, Foundation for Government Account-
ability.
E. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT
Hearing on ‘‘Examining PFAS Chemicals and their Risks’’
(March 6, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Brian K. Fitzpatrick,
Member of Congress, PA–01; The Honorable Daniel T. Kildee,
Member of Congress, MI–05; Mr. Dave Ross, Assistant Adminis-
trator for the Office of Water, Environmental Protection Agency;
Ms. Maureen Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Environment, Department of Defense.
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17
Hearing on ‘‘Climate Change, Part I: The History of a Consensus
and the Causes of Inaction’’ (April 9, 2019). Witnesses: The Honor-
able Tim Wirth, Former Senator from Colorado, Vice Chairman
and President Emeritus of the United Nations Foundation; Dr. Mi-
chael Oppenheimer, Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences
and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs, Princeton University; Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Uni-
versity Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Develop-
ment, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia Univer-
sity; Mr. Nicolas Loris, Deputy Director of the Thomas A. Roe In-
stitute of Economic Policy Studies, Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fel-
low in Energy and Environmental Policy, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Climate Change, Part II: The Public Health Effects’’
(April 30, 2019). Witnesses: Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Professor of Medi-
cine and Population Health, Dell Medical School, University of
Texas at Austin; Dr. Bernard D. Goldstein, Professor Emeritus,
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh; Dr.
Aaron Bernstein, Co-Director, Center for Climate, Health and the
Global Environment, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard
University; Dr. Cheryl L. Holder, Associate Professor, Herbert
Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University;
Dr. Caleb Rossiter, Executive Director, CO2 Coalition.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining America’s Nuclear Waste Management,
Storage, and the Need for Solutions’’ (June 7, 2019). Witnesses: Mr.
Don Hancock, Director and Administrator, Nuclear Waste Safety
Program, Southwest Research and Information Center; Mr. Tom
Isaacs, Former Lead Advisor, Blue Ribbon Commission on Amer-
ica’s Nuclear Future; The Honorable Darrell E. Issa, Former Chair-
man, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Mr. Scott
Morris, Region IV Administrator, Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
Mr. Daniel Stetson, Vice Chairman, SONGS Community Engage-
ment Panel.
Hearing on ‘‘Recovery, Resiliency, and Readiness: Contending
with Natural Disasters in the Wake of Climate Change (Climate
Change, Part III)’’ (June 25, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Stephen Cos-
tello, Chief Recovery Officer, City of Houston; Mr. Christopher
Currie, Director, Emergency Management, Disaster Recovery and
Department of Homeland Security Management Issues, Govern-
ment Accountability Office; Dr. Judith Curry, President, Climate
Forecast Applications Network; Mr. Mark Ghilarducci, Director,
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services; Dr. Michael
Mann, Distinguished Professor of Meteorology, Director, Earth Sys-
tem Science Center, The Pennsylvania State University; Mr. Omar
Marrero, Executive Director, Central Office of Recovery and Recon-
struction of Puerto Rico; Ms. Adrienne Williams-Octablien, Direc-
tor, Office of Disaster Recovery, Virgin Islands Public Finance Au-
thority; Mr. James Witt, Former Director, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
Hearing on ‘‘The Devil They Knew: PFAS Contamination and the
Need for Corporate Accountability’’ (July 24, 2019). Witnesses: Mr.
Bucky Bailey, Affected Resident and Activist, Parkersburg, West
Virginia; Ms. Emily Donovan, Co-Founder, Clean Cape Fear; Ms.
Sandy Wynn-Stelt, Affected Resident and Activist, Belmont, Michi-
gan; Dr. Jamie C. DeWitt, Associate Professor, East Carolina Uni-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
versity; Mr. Glenn Evers, President, IS2 Consulting; Ms. Jane C.
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18
Luxton, Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP; Ms. Cath-
erine R. McCabe, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Envi-
ronmental Protection; Mr. Robert R. Scott, Commissioner, New
Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; Mr. Steve Sliv-
er, Executive Director, Michigan PFAS Action Response Team,
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Hearing on ‘‘Courage Under Fire: Examining Government Pre-
paredness and Response to Wildfires in California’’ (August 20,
2019). Witnesses: Mr. Brent Berkompas, Director of Governmental
Affairs, Orange County Professional Firefighters Association; Dr.
Afif El-Hasan, Pediatrician, California; Mr. Robert Fenton, Region
IX Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Mr.
Mark Ghilarducci, Director, California Governor’s Office of Emer-
gency Services; Mr. Dan Johnson, Southern Region Chief, Cali-
fornia Department of Forestry & Fire Protection; Mr. Randy Moore,
Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service; Mr. Max Moritz, Cooperative Extension
Wildfire Specialist, Bren School of Environmental Science & Man-
agement; Mr. Drew Smith, Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County
Fire Department.
Hearing on ‘‘The Devil They Knew: PFAS Contamination and the
Need for Corporate Accountability, Part II’’ (September 10, 2019).
Witnesses: Mr. Robert A. Bilott, Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hol-
lister LLP; Ms. Lori Swanson, Former Attorney General, State of
Minnesota; Ms. Denise R. Rutherford, Senior Vice President of Cor-
porate Affairs, The 3M Company; Mr. Paul Kirsch, President of
Fluoroproducts, The Chemours Company; Mr. Daryl Roberts, Chief
Operations & Engineering Officer, Dupont de Nemours, Inc.; Mr.
Matt Hardin, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Greene County.
Hearing on ‘‘Environmental Injustice: Exploring Inequities in Air
and Water Quality in Michigan’’ (September 19, 2019). Witnesses:
Dr. Delores Leonard, Advocate; Ms. Nayyirah Shariff, Director,
Flint Rising; Dr. Paul Mohai, School of Environment and Sustain-
ability, University of Michigan; Mr. Nick Leonard, Executive Direc-
tor, Great Lakes Environmental Law Center; Ms. Emma Lockridge,
Climate and Environmental Justice Organizer, Michigan United.
Hearing on ‘‘Trump’s Wrong Turn on Clean Cars: The Effects of
Fuel Efficiency Rollbacks on the Climate, Car Companies, and Cali-
fornia’’ (October 29, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Edmund
Brown, Jr., Former Governor of California; The Honorable Sheldon
Whitehouse, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island; Dr. Antonio Bento,
Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Sol Price School of Public
Policy and Department of Economics, University of Southern Cali-
fornia; The Honorable Samuel Liccardo, Mayor of San Jose, Cali-
fornia; Dr. Emily Wimberger, Climate Economist, Rhodium Group;
Dr. Marlo Lewis, Senior Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Hearing on ‘‘Toxic, Forever Chemicals: A Call for Immediate Fed-
eral Action on PFAS’’ (November 19, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Mark
Ruffalo, Actor, Producer, and Artist; Mr. Scott Faber, Senior Vice
President of Government Affairs, Environmental Working Group;
Mr. Mark Favors, U.S. Army Veteran, Member, Fountain Valley
Clean Water Coalition; Mr. Tiger Joyce, President, American Tort
Reform Association.
Hearing on ‘‘Climate Change, Part IV: Current Economic Effects
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction’’ (December 19, 2019).
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19
Witnesses: Mr. Alfredo Gomez, Director, Natural Resources and
Environment Team, Government Accountability Office; Mr. Dave
Jones, Senior Director for Environmental Risk, The Nature Conser-
vancy; Dr. Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished
Service Professor in Economics, University of Chicago; The Honor-
able Stephen Benjamin, Mayor, The City of Columbia, South Caro-
lina; Dr. Kevin Dayaratna, Senior Statistician and Research Pro-
grammer, Center for Data Analysis, Institute for Economic Free-
dom, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Admin-
istration’s Proposal to Undermine Protections from Mercury Air
Toxics Standards’’ (February 6, 2020). Witnesses: Reverend Mitch-
ell C. Hescox, President/Chief Executive Officer, Evangelical Envi-
ronmental Health Network; Ms. Katie Huffling, Executive Director,
Alliance for Nurses for Healthy Environments; Ms. Heather
McTeer Toney, National Field Director, Moms Clean Air Force; Ms.
Mandy M. Gunasekara, Founder, Energy 45, Senior Fellow to
Texas Public Policy Life: Powered Project.
Hearing on ‘‘FEMA’s Natural Disaster Preparedness and Re-
sponse Efforts During the Coronavirus Pandemic’’ (July 24, 2020).
Witness: Mr. Peter T. Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
Hearing on ‘‘Climate Change, Part IV: Moving Towards a Sus-
tainable Future’’ (September 24, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Robert C.
Orr, Ph.D., Dean, University of Maryland School of Public Policy;
Dr. Rachel Cleetus, Ph.D., Policy Director, Climate and Energy
Program, Union of Concerned Scientists; Mr. Christopher Castro,
Senior Advisor to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Director of Sustain-
ability & Resilience, City of Orlando; Mr. Reed Schuler, Senior Pol-
icy Advisor, Office of the Governor, Governor Jay Inslee; Dr. Kevin
Dayaratna, Ph.D., Principal Statistician, Data Scientist, and Re-
search Fellow, The Heritage Foundation.
F. SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
Hearing on ‘‘The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (H.R.
1076)’’ (March 13, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Ron Johnson,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs; The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Senator, New Jersey; The
Honorable Doug Collins, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judi-
ciary, U.S. House of Representatives; Ms. Holly Harris, Executive
Director, Justice Action Network; Ms. Teresa Hodge, Co-Founder
and Chief Executive Officer, R3 Score Technologies, Inc.
Hearing on ‘‘Failure of Administration to Comply with Sub-
poenas on Child Separation Policy’’ (April 9, 2019). Witnesses: The
Honorable Christine Ciccone, Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Legislative Affairs, Department of Homeland Security; The Honor-
able Stephen E. Boyd, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of
Legislative Affairs, Department of Justice; The Honorable Matthew
Bassett, Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health
and Human Services.
Hearing on ‘‘Protecting the Right to Vote: Best and Worst Prac-
tices’’ (May 1, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Myrna Perez, Deputy Director,
Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice; Ms. Leigh Chap-
man, Director, Voting Rights Program, The Leadership Conference
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
on Civil and Human Rights; Mr. Dale Ho, Director, Voting Rights
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20
Project, American Civil Liberties Union; Ms. Kaylan Phillips, Liti-
gation Counsel, Public Interest Legal Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Confronting White Supremacy (Part I): The Con-
sequences of Inaction’’ (May 15, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Susan Bro,
Co-Founder President/Board Chair, Heather Heyer Foundation;
Mr. George Salim, Senior Vice President of Programs, Anti-Defa-
mation League; Mr. Omar Ricci, Chairman, Islamic Center of
Southern California; Mr. Michael German, Fellow, Brennan Center
for Justice; Mr. Roy Austin, Partner, Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis,
LLP; Mr. Robby Soave, Associate Editor at Reason Magazine, D.C.
Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Hearing on ‘‘Getting Counted: The Importance of the Census to
State and Local Communities’’ (May 28, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Gail
Mellow, President, LaGuardia Community College; Ms. Julie
Menin, Census Director, City of New York; Mr. Joseph Salvo, Chief
Demographer, Population Division, New York City Department of
City Planning; Ms. Melva Miller, Executive Vice President, Asso-
ciation for a Better New York; Mr. Steven Choi, Executive Director,
New York Immigration Coalition; Mr. Marc Morial, President and
Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League; Ms. Greta Byrum,
Co-Director, New School Digital Equity Laboratory; Ms. Elizabeth
OuYang, Civil Rights Attorney, Educator, and Community Advo-
cate; Mr. Jorge Luis Vasquez, Jr., Associate Counsel, LatinoJustice
PRLDF; Ms. Lurie Favors, Esq., General Counsel, Center for Law
& Social Justice; Ms. Kazi Fouzia, Desis Rising Up and Moving;
Mr. Carlos Menchaca, Council Member, New York City Council.
Hearing on ‘‘Confronting White Supremacy (Part II): Adequacy of
the Federal Response’’ (June 4, 2019). Witnesses: Mr. Michael
McGarrity, Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal
Bureau of Investigation; Mr. Calvin Shivers, Deputy Assistant Di-
rector, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation; Ms. Elizabeth Neumann, Assistant Secretary, Threat Pre-
vention and Security Policy, Department of Homeland Security;
Mr. Tony McAleer, Co-Founder, Life After Hate; Ms. Lecia Brooks,
Outreach Director, Southern Poverty Law Center; Ms. Brette
Steele, Director of Prevention and National Security, McCain Insti-
tute for International Leadership, Arizona State University; Mr.
Todd Bensman, Former Manager, Counterterrorism Unit, Intel-
ligence and Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public
Safety.
Hearing on ‘‘Kids in Cages: Inhumane Treatment at the Border’’
(July 10, 2019). Witnesses: Ms. Yazmin Juarez, Asylum Seeker and
Mother of 19-month-old Mariee, who died after detention by Immi-
gration and Customs Enforcement; Mr. Michael Breen, President
and Chief Executive Officer, Human Rights First; Ms. Clara Long,
Deputy Washington Director, Human Rights Watch; Ms. Hope
Frye, Executive Director, Project Lifeline; Dr. Carlos A. Gutierrez,
Pediatrician, El Paso’s Children’s Hospital; Mr. Ronald D. Vitiello,
Former Chief, U.S. Border Patrol, Former Acting Director, Immi-
gration and Customs Enforcement.
Hearing on ‘‘Beyond the Citizenship Question: Repairing the
Damage and Preparing to Count ‘We the People’ in 2020’’ (July 24,
2019). Witnesses: Mr. Steven Dillingham, Ph.D., Director, U.S.
Census Bureau; Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director of Strategic
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Nicholas
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21
Marinos, Director of Information Technology and Cybersecurity,
Government Accountability Office.
Hearing on ‘‘The Administration’s Apparent Revocation of Med-
ical Deferred Action for Critically Ill Children’’ (September 11,
2019). Witnesses: Ms. Maria Isabel Bueso, Concord, CA; Mr.
Johnathan Sanchez, Boston, Massachusetts; Ms. Shoba Sivaprasad
Wadhia, Clinical Professor of Law, Director, Center for Immigrants’
Rights Clinic, Penn State Law School; Dr. Fiona S. Danaher, M.D.,
MPH, Pediatrician, MGH Chelsea Pediatrics and MGH Child Pro-
tection Program, Co-Chair, MGH Immigrant Health Coalition,
Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Instructor in Pediat-
rics, Harvard Medical School; Mr. Anthony Marino, Director, Immi-
gration Legal Services, on behalf of Irish International Immigrant
Center; Mr. Thomas Homan, Former Director, Immigration and
Customers Enforcement; Mr. Timothy Robbins, Acting Executive
Associate Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Immi-
gration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Secu-
rity; Mr. Daniel Renaud, Associate Director, Field Operations Di-
rectorate, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
Hearing on ‘‘Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part III): Ad-
dressing the Transnational Terrorist Threat’’ (September 20, 2019).
Witnesses: Dr. Kathleen Belew, Assistant Professor of U.S. History
and the College, The University of Chicago; Dr. Joshua Geltzer, Di-
rector, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection,
Georgetown Law; Ms. Katrina Mulligan, Managing Director for Na-
tional Security and International Policy, Center for American
Progress; Ms. Candace Owens, Founder, Blexit, Host, Candace
Owens Show.
Hearing on ‘‘Examining the Oil Industry’s Effort to Suppress the
Truth about Climate Change’’ (October 23, 2019). Witnesses: Dr.
Mustafa Ali, Vice President, Environmental Justice Climate and
Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation; Dr. Ed
Garvey, Former Exxon Scientist; Dr. Martin Hoffert, Former Exxon
Consultant, Professor Emeritus, Physics, New York University; Dr.
Naomi Oreskes, Professor, History of Science, Affiliated Professor,
Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University; Ms. Sharon
Eubanks, Esq., Of Counsel, Henderson Law Firm, PLLC; Ms.
Mandy Gunasekara, Founder, Energy 45, Senior Fellow, Life: Pow-
ered Project.
Hearing on ‘‘The Administration’s Decision to Deport Critically
Ill Children and Their Families’’ (October 30, 2019). Witnesses: Mr.
Matthew Albence, Acting Director, Immigration and Customs En-
forcement, Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Ken Cuccinelli,
Acting Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, De-
partment of Homeland Security.
Hearing on ‘‘Righting the Ship: The Coast Guard Must Improve
its Processes for Addressing Harassment, Bullying, and Retalia-
tion’’ (December 11, 2019). Witnesses: Vice Admiral Michael
McAllister, Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, United
States Coast Guard; Lieutenant Commander Kimberly Young-
McLear, Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff, United States
Coast Guard; Mr. Jackson Eaton, Deputy Assistant Inspector Gen-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
eral, United States Department of Homeland Security.
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22
Hearing on ‘‘Ending Global Religious Persecution’’ (January 28,
2020). Witnesses: Mr. Rushan Abbas, Executive Director, Cam-
paign for Uyghurs; Ms. Rachel Deitch on behalf of Rafida Bonya
Ahmed, Policy Manager, The American Humanist Association; Mr.
Jeremy Barker, Senior Program Officer and Director for Middle
East Action Team, Religious Freedom Institute; Mr. Francisco
Bencosme, Asia Pacific Advocacy Manager, Amnesty International.
Hearing on ‘‘A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Admin-
istration’s Proposal to Gut Fair Housing Accountability’’ (February
5, 2020). Witnesses: Ms. Ateira Griffin, Chief Executive Officer and
Founder, BOND, Inc.—Building Our Nation’s Daughters; Ms. Ellen
Lee, Director of Community and Economic Development, City of
New Orleans; Dr. Megan Sandel, Principal Investigator, Children’s
Healthwatch, M.D., Boston Medical Center; Mr. Jorge Andres Soto,
Director of Public Policy, National Fair Housing Alliance; Mr. Mi-
chael Hendrix, Director, State and Local Policy, Manhattan Insti-
tute.
Hearing on ‘‘Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part IV):
White Supremacy in Blue—The Infiltration of Local Police Depart-
ments’’ (September 29, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Michael German, Fel-
low, Brennan Center for Justice; Ms. Vida B. Johnson, Associate
Professor of Law, Georgetown University; Mr. Frank Meeink, Au-
thor and Activist; Mr. Mark Napier, Sheriff Pima County, Arizona;
Ms. Heather Taylor, President Ethical Society of Police, St. Louis.
Hearing on ‘‘Pipelines Over People: How FERC Tramples Land-
owner Rights in Natural Gas Projects’’ (December 9, 2020). Wit-
nesses: Mr. David L. Morenoff, Acting General Counsel, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission; Mr. Terry Turpin, Director, Office
of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
G. SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Hearing on ‘‘The Unemployment Pandemic: Addressing America’s
Job Crisis’’ (June 18, 2020). Witnesses: Ms. Michele Evermore, Sen-
ior Researcher and Policy Analyst, National Employment Law
Project; Mr. William E. Spriggs, Chief Economist, AFL–CIO, Pro-
fessor, Department of Economics, Howard University; Mr. Jason
Furman, Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy, Harvard Uni-
versity; Ms. Rachel Greszler, Research Fellow in Economics, Budg-
et and Entitlements, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ‘‘Accountability in Crisis: GAO’s Recommendations to
Improve the Federal Coronavirus Response’’ (June 26, 2020). Wit-
nesses: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the
United States, Government Accountability Office.
Hearing on ‘‘The Administration’s Efforts to Procure, Stockpile,
and Distribute Critical Supplies’’ (July 2, 2020). Witnesses: The
Honorable Kevin Fahey, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisi-
tion, Department of Defense; Admiral Brett P. Giroir M.D., Assist-
ant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices; Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, Vice Director of Logistics, Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Supply Chain Stabilization Task Force, on behalf
of Department of Defense.
Hearing on ‘‘Former Federal Reserve Chairs on Responding to
Our Nation’s Economic Crisis’’ (July 17, 2020). Witnesses: The Hon-
orable Ben Bernanke, Distinguished Fellow in Residence, The
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Brookings Institution, Former Chair, Board of Governors of the
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23
Federal Reserve; The Honorable Janet Yellen, Distinguished Fellow
in Residence, The Brookings Institution, Former Chair, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve.
Hybrid Hearing on ‘‘The Urgent Need for a National Plan to Con-
tain the Coronavirus’’ (July 31, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Anthony
Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis-
eases, National Institutes of Health; Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D.,
Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human
Services; Dr. Robert R. Redfield, M.D., Director, Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention.
Remote Hearing on ‘‘Challenges to Safely Reopening K–12
Schools’’ (August 6, 2020). Witnesses: The Honorable Arne Duncan,
Managing Partner, Emerson Collective, Former Secretary of Edu-
cation; Mr. Dan Lips, Fellow, Foundation for Research on Equal
Opportunity; Dr. Caitlin Rivers, Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins
Center for Health Security, Assistant Professor, Department of En-
vironmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of
Public Health; Mr. Robert W. Runcie, Superintendent, Broward
County Public Schools; Ms. Angela Skillings, Teacher, Hayden
Winkelman Unified School District.
Hybrid Hearing ‘‘With Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin’’
(September 1, 2020). Witness: Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary, De-
partment of the Treasury.
Remote Hearing on ‘‘Ensuring a Free, Fair, and Safe Election
During the Coronavirus Pandemic’’ (September 9, 2020). Witnesses:
Mr. Jay Ashcroft, Missouri Secretary of State; Ms. Kristen Clarke,
President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil
Rights Under Law; Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, M.D., Vice Chair of Glob-
al Health Committee, Infectious Diseases Society of America and
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,
Medical University of South Carolina; Ms. Mimi Marziani, Presi-
dent, Texas Civil Rights Project; Ms. Kerry Washington, Actor and
Activist.
Hybrid Hearing ‘‘With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell’’
(September 23, 2020). Witness: The Honorable Jerome H. Powell,
Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Hybrid Hearing ‘‘With Secretary of Health and Human Services
Alex M. Azar II’’ (October 2, 2020). Witness: The Honorable Alex
M. Azar II, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
III. FORMAL BIPARTISAN MEMBER BRIEFINGS HELD IN
LIEU OF HEARINGS DURING COVID–19 PANDEMIC
A. FULL COMMITTEE
On March 20, 2020, the Full Committee held a telephone Mem-
ber briefing on ‘‘The Coronavirus Crisis.’’ Briefer: Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter T.
Gaynor.
On March 30, 2020, the Full Committee held a video briefing re-
garding shortages in coronavirus tests, personal protective equip-
ment (PPE) to protect health care workers from contracting the
coronavirus, and medical equipment needed to treat critically ill
patients. Briefers: Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Pre-
paredness and Response, Department of Health and Human Serv-
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ices (HHS); Mr. Brian Shuy, Deputy Assistant Director and Chief
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24
of Staff to Dr. Kadlec, Department of Health and Human Services;
Mr. Joel Doolin, Associate Administrator for Policy, Program Anal-
ysis, and International Affairs, Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA); and Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, Senior Logis-
tics Officer for the Joint Chiefs, Chair, Supply Chain Stabilization
Task Force, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
On April 3, 2020, the Full Committee held a Member briefing on
‘‘Women’s Rights in Afghanistan.’’ Briefer: Special Inspector Gen-
eral for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko.
On April 9, 2020, the Full Committee held a video Member brief-
ing on the Coronavirus Crisis. Briefer: United States Postal Service
Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan.
On April 14, 2020, the Full Committee held a telephone Member
briefing with Census Experts on the Impact of Coronavirus on 2020
Census. Briefers: Mr. John Thompson, Former Director, Census
Bureau; Mr. John Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian
Americans Advancing Justice; Mr. Arturo Vargas, Chief Executive
Officer, NALEO Educational Fund; Ms. Terri Ann Lowenthal, Cen-
sus Consultant.
On April 17, 2020, the Full Committee held a conference call
briefing on the Coronavirus Crisis and Immigrant Detention Facili-
ties. Briefers: Mr. Matthew T. Albence, Acting Director, Immigra-
tion Customs Enforcement; Mr. Mark Morgan, Acting Commis-
sioner, Customs and Border Protection.
On April 24, 2020, the Full Committee held a conference call
briefing on the impact of the Coronavirus Crisis on the 2020 Cen-
sus. Briefers: Dr. Steven Dillingham, Director, Census Bureau; Mr.
Albert E. Fontenot Jr., Associate Director for Decennial Census
Programs, Census Bureau.
On May 7, 2020, Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Rep-
resentative Donald S. Beyer, Jr., the Vice Chairman of the Joint
Economic Committee held a call on ‘‘Economic Priorities for CARES
2.’’ Briefer: Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, Professor, Columbia University,
Chief Economist, The Roosevelt Institute.
On May 8, 2020, the Full Committee held a briefing on the les-
sons from Hurricane Katrina and how those lessons could be imple-
mented to improve the federal response to the Coronavirus Crisis.
Briefer: Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré (Ret.).
On May 19, 2020, the Full Committee held a closed briefing on
‘‘F–35 Joint Strike Fighter Maintenance and Performance.’’
Briefers: Colonel Michael Allison, 56th Maintenance Group Com-
mander, Luke Air Force Base; Colonel Michael Miles, 388th Main-
tenance Group Commander, Hill Air Force Base.
On June 19, 2020, the Full Committee held a briefing on ‘‘Voice
from the Front: An Overdue Reckoning with Structural Racism in
Policing.’’ Briefers: Ms. Keturah Herron, Policy Strategist, ACLU of
Kentucky; Mr. Cephus ‘‘Uncle Bobby X’’ Johnson, Uncle of Oscar
Grant, Co-Founder of Families United for Justice and Co-Founder
of Love Not Blood Campaign.
B. SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
On April 27, 2020, the Subcommittee on National Security and
the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy held a joint
telephone briefing on ‘‘Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Security’’ to
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examine the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global sup-
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25
ply chain for pharmaceuticals sold in the United States, with a par-
ticular focus on national security and consumer implications.
Briefers: Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Patrizia
Cavazzoni, Deputy Director for Operations, Center for Drug Eval-
uation and Research, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Doug
Throckmorton, Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs, Center
for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration;
Ms. Mary Beth Clarke, Director, Office of Executive Programs,
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Adminis-
tration.
On April 29, 2020, the Subcommittee on National Security held
a telephone briefing on current events in Afghanistan. Briefer: Spe-
cial Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John F.
Sopko.
On May 14, 2020, the Subcommittee on National Security held
a briefing on ‘‘Coronavirus in Africa and Implications for Inter-
national Security.’’ Briefers: Mr. Bob Kitchen, Vice President of
Emergencies and Humanitarian Action, International Rescue Com-
mittee; Ms. Claudine Awute, West Africa Regional Director, CARE
International; Ms. Kijala Shako, Head of Advocacy, Campaigns,
Communication, and Media for East and Southern Africa, Save the
Children.
On May 29, 2020, the Subcommittee on National Security held
a briefing on ‘‘Cyberthreats to U.S. and Global Coronavirus Re-
sponse.’’ Briefers: Ms. Tonya Ugoretz, Deputy Assistant Director,
Cybersecurity Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Mr. Bryan
Ware, Assistant Director, Cybersecurity Division, Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Security Agency; Mr. Adam Hickey, Deputy As-
sistant Attorney General, National Security Division, Department
of Justice.
On August 17, 2020, the Subcommittee on National Security and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia, Non-
proliferation, and the Pacific held a briefing on ‘‘China’s Oppression
of Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang.’’ Briefers: Mr. Dolkun Isa, Presi-
dent, World Uyghur Congress; Ms. Jessica Batke, Senior Editor,
ChinaFile, Center on U.S.-China Relations; Ms. Maya Wang, China
Senior Researcher, Human Rights Watch.
C. SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
On April 28, 2020, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a telephone briefing on Inspectors General response to the
coronavirus pandemic. Briefers: Inspector General Michael Horo-
witz, Department of Justice, Chairman of the Council of Inspectors
General on Integrity and Efficiency; Mr. Richard K. Delmar, Acting
Treasury Inspector General; Mr. Hannibal ‘‘Mike’’ Ware, Inspector
General, Small Business Administration.
On June 1, 2020, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a briefing on the role of Inspectors General to the oversight
of the pandemic response. Briefer: The Honorable Scott S. Dahl, In-
spector General, Department of Labor.
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D. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND CONSUMER POLICY
On June 9, 2020, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer
Policy held a briefing on ‘‘COVID–19 Antibody Testing: Uses,
Abuses, Limitations, and the Federal Response.’’ Briefers: Dr. Jesse
Goodman, M.D., MPH, Director, Center on Medical Product Access,
Safety and Stewardship (COMPASS), Georgetown University,
Former-Chief Scientist, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Jen-
nifer Rakeman, Ph.D., Assistant Commissioner, New York City De-
partment of Health and Mental Hygiene; Dr. Gigi Gronvall, Ph.D.,
Senior Scholar & Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Center for Health Security; Dr. Jesse
Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, Chair, Board of Trustees, American Med-
ical Association.
On July 14, 2020, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer
Policy held a briefing on ‘‘Guardrails to Ensure a Safe and Effective
COVID–19 Vaccine.’’ Briefers: Dr. Bruce Gellin, M.D., M.P.H.,
President, Global Immunization, Sabin Vaccine Institute, Former-
Director, National Vaccine Program, Department of Health and
Human Services; Dr. Jesse Goodman, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Cen-
ter on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship (COM-
PASS), Georgetown University, Former-Chief Scientist, Food and
Drug Administration; Dr. Ruth Karron, M.D., Director, Center for
Immunization Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health, Former-Chair, Vaccine and Related Biological Products Ad-
visory Committee; Dr. Jason Schwartz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
of Health Policy, Yale School of Public Health.
E. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT
On July 7, 2020, the Subcommittee on Environment held a brief-
ing on ‘‘Plastic Production, Pollution and Waste in the Time of
Covid–19: The Life-Threatening Impact of Single Use Plastic on
Human Health.’’ Briefers: Ms. Judith Enck, President, Beyond
Plastics, Former Environmental Protection Agency Regional Ad-
ministrator; Ms. Monique Harden, Assistant Director of Law and
Public Policy, Community Engagement Program Manager, Deep
South Center for Environmental Justice; Dr. Kimberly Terrell,
Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Tulane Environmental Law Clinic; Ms.
Yvette Arellano, Policy Research and Grassroots Advocate, Texas
Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (T.E.J.A.S.); Ms. Carroll
Muffett, President & Chief Executive Officer, Center for Inter-
national Environmental Law.
F. SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
On June 29, 2020, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties held a briefing on ‘‘The First Amendment Under Attack:
Examining Government Violence Against Peaceful Civil Rights Pro-
testers and the Journalists Covering Them.’’ Briefers: Tomiko
Brown-Nagin, Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Har-
vard University; Linda Tirado, Journalist; Reverend Gini Gerbasi,
Rector, Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown; LaToya Ratliff,
Protester; Gustavo Martinez, Freelance Journalist; Andy Ngô, Edi-
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tor-at-Large, The Post Millennial.
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G. SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
On May 13, 2020, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus
Crisis held a briefing on ‘‘Coronavirus Testing, Tracing, and Tar-
geted Containment: Steps to Reopen the Country.’’ Briefers: Dr.
Scott Gottlieb, Former Commissioner, Food and Drug Administra-
tion (2017–2019), Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute;
Dr. Mark McClellan, Former Commissioner, Food and Drug Admin-
istration (2002–2004), Former Administrator, Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (2004–2006), Founding Director, Duke-
Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University; Dr. Ashish
Jha, Director, Harvard Global Health Institute, Harvard Univer-
sity; Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Center for Health Security,
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; Dr.
Georges Benjamin, Executive Director, American Public Health As-
sociation.
On May 21, 2020, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus
Crisis held a briefing on ‘‘Heroes of the Coronavirus Crisis: Pro-
tecting Front-line and Essential Workers During the Pandemic.’’
Briefers: Dr. Megan Ranney, M.D., MPH, Emergency Physician &
Associate Professor, Brown University; Ms. Talisa Hardin, Reg-
istered Nurse, University of Chicago Medical Center; Ms. Diana
Wilson, Emergency Medical Technician, New York City Fire De-
partment; Ms. Zenobia Shepherd, Mother of Leilani Jordan; Mr.
Eric Colts, Bus Driver, Detroit Department of Transportation; Mr.
Marcos Aranda, Custodian, Pacific Gas and Electric; Dr. Shanti
Akers, Pulmonary Critical Care Physician, Phoebe Putney Health
System in Albany, Georgia; Mr. Steve Pettus, Managing Partner,
Dickie Brennan & Co. Restaurant Group.
On May 29, 2020, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus
Crisis held a briefing on ‘‘Supporting America’s Cities: What May-
ors Need to Safely Reopen.’’ Briefers: Mayor Bryan K. Barnett,
Rochester Hills, Michigan; Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin, Columbia,
South Carolina; Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta, Georgia;
Mayor Jenny Durkan, Seattle, Washington; Mayor Eric Garcetti,
Los Angeles, California; Mayor Mary Jane Scott, Mangum, Okla-
homa; Mayor Leonard B. Curry, Jacksonville, Florida; Mayor Mary
Jane Scott, Mangum, Oklahoma.
On June 4, 2020, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus
Crisis held a briefing on ‘‘An Unequal Burden: Addressing Racial
Health Disparities in the Coronavirus Pandemic.’’ Briefers: Dr.
Uché Blackstock, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Advancing Health
Equity; Dr. Eva Galvez, M.D., Family Physician, Virginia Garcia
Memorial Health Center; Fawn Sharp, President, National Con-
gress of American Indians; Dr. Leana Wen, MD MSc, Visiting Pro-
fessor, George Washington University Milken School of Public
Health.
On June 11, 2020, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus
Crisis held a briefing on ‘‘The Devasting Impact of the Coronavirus
Crisis in America’s Nursing Homes.’’ Briefers: Dr. David C.
Grabowski, Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical
School; Mr. Chris Brown, Certified Nursing Assistant, Chicago, Illi-
nois; Mr. Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment; Alison
Lolley, Daughter of Nursing Home Resident, Monroe, Louisiana;
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Eric Carlson, Directing Attorney, Justice in Aging.
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IV. LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A. BUSINESS MEETINGS (LEGISLATION)
Organizational meeting to appoint the Chairs and Ranking Mem-
bers of the five subcommittees and adopt the Committee Rules
(January 29, 2019).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 745, the Executive Branch
Comprehensive Ethics Enforcement Act; H.R. 964 Transition Team
Ethics Improvement Act; H.R. 1076, the Fair Chance Act; H.R.
1496 the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act; H.R. 1847, the
Inspector General Protection Act; and several postal naming meas-
ures (March 26, 2019).
Business meeting to consider a resolution recommending that the
House of Representatives find the Attorney General and the Sec-
retary of Commerce in contempt of Congress for their refusal to
comply with duly authorized subpoenas relating to the 2020 Cen-
sus; H.R. 391, White House Ethics Transparency Act; H.R. 2003,
Ensuring Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)
Coverage During Shutdowns Act; H.R. 2004, Ensuring Federal Em-
ployees Dental/Vision Program (FEDVIP) and Federal Long-Term
Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) Coverage During Shutdowns
Act; H.R. 2530, Interim Stay Authority to Protect Whistleblowers
Act; H.R. 1668, Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act;
H.R. 2978, National Historical Publications and Records Commis-
sion Reauthorization Act; and bills to designate United States Post-
al Service facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered
favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (June 12,
2019).
Business meeting to consider S. 406, The Federal Rotational
Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2019; H.R. 3889, The ONDCP
Technical Corrections Act of 2019; bills to designate United States
Postal Service facilities were approved by the Committee and or-
dered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (July
25, 2019).
Business meeting to consider S. 375, The Payment Integrity In-
formation Act of 2019; H.R. 5214, The Representative Payee Fraud
Prevention Act of 2019; H.R. 3883, The Restore the Partnership
Act; H.R. 3830, The Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act; H.R. 2575, The
AI in Government Act of 2019; bills to designate United States
Postal Service facilities were approved by the Committee and or-
dered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (De-
cember 19, 2019).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 5803, Washington, D.C. Ad-
mission Act (February 11, 2020).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 4894, Congressional Budget
Justification Transparency Act of 2019; H.R. 6020, to Require an
Evaluation by the Government Accountability Office of the Social,
Economic, and Historic Contributions that Minor League Baseball
Has Made to American Life and Culture; bills to designate United
States Postal Service facilities were approved by the Committee
and ordered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Con-
sent (March 4, 2020).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 4382, The Integrity Com-
mittee Transparency Act; H.R. 5901, The Modernization Centers of
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Excellence Program; H.R. 8109, Nonpartisan Postmaster General
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Act; H.R. 7496, COVID Prepare Act; H.R. 7340, Chai
Suthammanont Remembrance Act; H.R. 7548, Made in America:
Preparation for a Pandemic Act; H.R. 7107, The Periodically List-
ing Updates to Management Act; H.R. 7936, Federal Employee Ac-
cess to Information Act; bills to designate United States Postal
Service facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered fa-
vorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (September
16, 2020).
B. BUSINESS MEETING (SUBPOENA)
Business meeting to consider a motion to subpoena the Attorney
General William P. Barr, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen
M. Nelson, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M.
Azar II for records in connection with the Committee’s investiga-
tion into the Trump Administration’s child separation policy (Feb-
ruary 26, 2019).
Business meeting to consider a motion to subpoena the Principal
Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Gore, Attorney General
William P. Barr, and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. for
records in connection with the Committee’s investigation into the
addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census (April 2,
2019).
Business meeting to consider a motion to subpoena Counselor to
the President Kellyanne Conway for testimony in connection with
Ms. Conway’s failure to comply with the Hatch Act and ethics laws
(June 26, 2019).
Business meeting to consider a motion to subpoena records relat-
ing to the Committee’s investigation into the use of non-official
electronic messaging accounts by non-career officials at the White
House, including from Acting White House Chief of Staff John Mi-
chael ‘‘Mick’’ Mulvaney (July 25, 2019).
C. LEGISLATION ENACTED INTO LAW
H.R. 150, the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Trans-
parency Act of 2019. Introduced on January 3, 2019, by Rep. Vir-
ginia Foxx. The legislation requires the establishment and use of
data standards for information reported by recipients of federal
grants. The legislation also requires the Office of Management and
Budget, jointly with the executive department that issues the most
federal grant awards, to (1) establish government-wide data stand-
ards for information reported by grant recipients, (2) issue guid-
ance directing federal agencies to apply those standards, and (3) re-
quire the publication of recipient-reported data collected from all
agencies on a single public website.
History: Introduced on January 3, 2019; House passed January 17,
2019; Senate passed October 21, 2019, with an amendment;
House passed Senate amended version December 16, 2019;
President signed into law December 30, 2019
H.R. 1076, the FAIR Chance Act. Introduced on February 7,
2019, by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. The legislation prohibits federal
agencies and federal contractors from requesting that applicants
for employment disclose criminal history record information before
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receiving a conditional offer of employment. Agencies may not re-
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quire an individual or sole proprietor who submits a bid for a con-
tract to disclose criminal history record information regarding that
individual or sole proprietor before determining the apparent
awardee. The legislation (1) sets forth positions to which such pro-
hibitions shall not apply; and (2) requires the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM), the General Services Administration (GSA),
and the Department of Defense (DOD) to issue regulations identi-
fying additional positions with respect to which the prohibition
shall not apply. OPM, the Office of Congressional Workplace
Rights, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, GSA,
and DOD must (1) establish procedures for submitting complaints
about, and taking actions against, agency employees and contrac-
tors for violating such prohibitions and for appealing such an ac-
tion; and (2) issue regulations to implement this bill. The Bureau
of Justice Statistics, in coordination with the Census Bureau, must
design and initiate a study on the employment of individuals who
are released from federal prison after completing a term of impris-
onment for a federal criminal offense.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; Committee passed March
26, 2019. Enacted on December 20, 2019; as part of S. 1790—
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.
H.R. 1079, the Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Serv-
ices for Constituents Act of 2019. Introduced on February 7, 2019,
by Rep. Garret Graves. The legislation directs the Office of Man-
agement and Budget (OMB) to require each federal agency to ac-
cept electronic identity proofing and authentication processes that
allow an individual, under the Privacy Act, to access the individ-
ual’s records or to provide prior written consent for the disclosure
of the individual’s records. This legislation also requires OMB to:
(1) create a template for electronic consent and access forms; and
(2) require each agency to accept such forms from any individual
properly identity proofed and authenticated.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; House passed February
11, 2019; Senate passed July 31, 2019; President signed into
law August 22, 2019
H.R. 1534, the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act. Introduced on
March 5, 2019, by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney. The legislation would
create a benefit to make federal employees eligible for 12 weeks of
paid leave for any reason such leave is available under the Family
and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
History: Introduced on March 5, 2019; House passed the bill on
July 12, 2019, as part of H.R. 2500; Portions of the bill signed
into law December 20, 2019
H.R. 1668, the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020. In-
troduced on March 11, 2019, by Rep. Robin Kelly. This legislation
requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) and the Office of Management and Budget to take specified
steps to increase cybersecurity for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
IoT is the extension of Internet connectivity into physical devices
and everyday objects. The legislation establishes September 30,
2019, as the deadline for the completion of NIST’s efforts regarding
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considerations for managing IoT cybersecurity risks, especially re-
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31
garding examples of possible cybersecurity capabilities of IoT de-
vices. By March 31, 2020, NIST must develop recommendations for
the appropriate use and management of IoT devices owned or con-
trolled by the government, including minimum information security
requirements for managing cybersecurity risks. The Office of Man-
agement and Budget shall then issue guidelines for each agency
that are consistent with such recommendations. NIST and OMB
shall publish guidance on policies and procedures for the reporting,
coordinating, publishing, and receiving of information about a secu-
rity vulnerability relating to an IoT device used by the government
and the resolution of such security vulnerability.
History: Introduced on March 11, 2019; Committee consideration
June 12, 2019; House passed September 14, 2020; Senate
passed November 17, 2020; President signed into law December
4, 2020
H.R. 2575, the AI in Government Act of 2020. Introduced on May
8, 2019, by Rep. Jerry McNerney. This legislation establishes the
AI Center of Excellence within the General Services Administration
to advise and promote the efforts of the federal government in de-
veloping innovative uses of artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit the
public and improve cohesion and competency in the use of AI. OMB
must issue a memorandum to federal agencies regarding AI gov-
ernance approaches, to be followed by preparation and submission
of governance plans by the agencies. In addition, OPM must iden-
tify key skills and competencies needed for positions related to AI;
and establish an occupational series, or revise an existing job se-
ries, to include positions the primary duties of which relate to AI.
History: Introduced on May 8, 2019; Committee consideration De-
cember 19, 2019; House passed September 14, 2020; President
signed into law December 28, 2020, as part of the Consolidated
Appropriation Act of 2021
H.R. 3889, the ONDCP Technical Corrections Act of 2019. Intro-
duced on July 23, 2019, by Rep. Harley Rouda. The legislation
makes permanent the grant supporting the National Community
Anti-Drug Coalition Institute. Among other things, the legislation
also makes technical corrections and repeals a requirement that
the Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit ONDCP.
History: Introduced on July 23, 2019; Committee consideration July
25, 2019; House passed October 16, 2019; Senate passed No-
vember 14, 2019; President signed into law November 27, 2019
H.R. 4147, the Whistleblower Expansion Act. Introduced on Au-
gust 2, 2019, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. The legislation makes
technical changes to clarify that subcontractors and subgrantees
are covered by the whistleblower protections afforded by 41 U.S.C.
4712.
History: Introduced on August 2, 2019; House passed as part of
H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2021 July 21, 2020; President signed on December 28,
2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021
H.R. 5214, the Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act of
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2019. Introduced on November 21, 2019, by Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
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The legislation prohibits a representative payee (i.e., a person des-
ignated to receive payments on behalf of a minor, a mentally in-
competent individual, or an individual under other legal disability)
from embezzling or converting the amounts received from certain
retirement funds. If OPM determines that a representative payee
has embezzled or converted payments from the Civil Service Retire-
ment System or the Federal Employees Retirement System for a
use other than the benefit of the individual on whose behalf such
payments were received, OPM shall (1) revoke the certification for
payment of benefits to the representative payee, and (2) certify
payment to another representative payee or to the individual.
History: Introduced on November 21, 2019; Committee consideration
December 19, 2019; House passed February 5, 2020; Senate
passed March 3, 2020; President signed into law March 18,
2020
H.R. 5430, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Imple-
mentation Act. Introduced on December 13, 2019, by Rep. Steny
Hoyer. The legislation provides statutory authority for the trade
agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada
(USMCA), which replaces the North American Free Trade Agree-
ment. Specifically, the legislation implements provisions that in-
clude labor and environment monitoring and enforcement, de mini-
mis levels for U.S. exports, and cooperation among treaty members
to prevent duty evasion.
History: Introduced on December 13, 2019; House passed December
19, 2019; Senate passed January 16, 2020; President signed
into law January 29, 2020
H.R. 5901, the Information Technology Modernization, on Cen-
ters of Excellence Program Act. Introduced on February 13, 2020,
by Rep. Ro Khanna. This legislation requires GSA to establish an
Information Technology Modernization Centers of Excellence Pro-
gram to facilitate the adoption of modern technology by executive
agencies. GSA shall: (1) coordinate with DHS in establishing the
program to ensure that the technology, tools, and frameworks fa-
cilitated for executive agencies by the program provide sufficient
cybersecurity and maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and avail-
ability of federal information; and (2) report to Congress.
History: Introduced on February 13, 2020; Committee consideration
September 16, 2020; House passed September 30, 2020; Senate
passed November 17, 2020; President signed into law December
3, 2020
H.R. 8694, Oversight.gov Authorization Act. Introduced by Rep.
Ted Lieu on October 27, 2020. This legislation authorizes the estab-
lishment of an oversight.gov website managed by the Council of In-
spectors General for Integrity and Efficiency on which each report
issued by an Office of Inspector General shall be posted. The sec-
tion authorizes $3.5 million to carry out the duties of the Council,
including establishment of the website.
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History: Introduced on October 27, 2020. President signed into law
December 28, 2020, as part of the Consolidated Appropriation
Act, 2021
H.R. 8955, the Construction Consensus Procurement Integrity
Act. Introduced on December 14, 2020 by Rep. James Comer. This
legislation prohibits the use of reverse auctions for awarding fed-
eral contracts for complex, specialized, or substantial construction
and design services. Generally, a reverse auction is one in which
there are multiple sellers lowering their bids to win a supply or
service contract.
History: Introduced on December 14, 2020. President signed a
version of legislation into law on December 28, 2020, as part of
the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021
S. 375, the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019. Intro-
duced on February 7, 2019, by Sen. Thomas Carper. The legislation
reorganizes and revises several existing improper payments stat-
utes, which establish requirements for federal agencies to cut down
on improper payments made by the federal government. OMB may
establish one or more pilot programs to test potential account-
ability mechanisms for compliance with requirements regarding
improper payments and the elimination of improper payments. The
legislation requires OMB to update its plan for improving the
death data maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA)
and improving federal agency use of death data. The legislation
also establishes an interagency working group on payment integ-
rity.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; Senate passed July 16,
2019; Committee consideration December 19, 2019; House
passed February 5, 2020; President signed into law March 2,
2020
S. 394, the Presidential Transition Enhancement Act of 2019. In-
troduced on February 7, 2019, by Sen. Ron Johnson. The legislation
makes changes intended to smooth the transfer of executive power
during presidential transitions. The legislation provides for the de-
tailing of legislative branch employees on a reimbursable basis to
office staffs designated by the President-elect or Vice President-
elect with the consent of the supervising Member of Congress. The
legislation also extends support provided by GSA to the President-
and Vice President-elect for up to 60 days after the inauguration.
By September 1 of a year during which a presidential election oc-
curs, the GSA shall enter into a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) with each eligible candidate, which shall include the condi-
tions for administrative support services and facilities. To the max-
imum extent practicable, an MOU shall be based on MOUs relating
to previous presidential transitions. Each MOU shall include an
agreement that the eligible candidate will implement and enforce
an ethics plan to guide the conduct of the transition beginning on
the date on which such candidate becomes President-elect. The
plan shall be published on the GSA website. By September 15 of
a year during which a presidential election occurs, each agency
shall ensure that a succession plan is in place for each senior non-
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career position in the agency.
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History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; Senate passed August 1,
2019; House passed February 5, 2020; President signed into law
March 3, 2020
S. 2193, the CHARGE Act. Introduced on July 18, 2019, by Sen.
Gary Peters. The legislation requires GSA to issue: (1) guidance to
clarify that federal agencies may use a charge card to pay to charge
federal electric motor vehicles at commercial charging stations, and
(2) a charge card for such payments to each agency for each of the
agency’s electric motor vehicles.
History: Introduced on July 18, 2019; Senate passed November 21,
2019; House passed September 14, 2020; President signed into
law October 1, 2020
D. BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE
H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019. Introduced on January
3, 2019, by Rep. John Sarbanes. This legislation addresses voter ac-
cess, election integrity, election security, political spending, and
ethics for the three branches of government. This legislation sets
forth provisions related to ethics in all three branches of govern-
ment. Specifically, the legislation requires a code of ethics for fed-
eral judges and justices, prohibits Members of the House from serv-
ing on the board of a for-profit entity, expands enforcement of regu-
lations governing foreign agents, and establishes additional con-
flict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the
White House. The legislation also requires candidates for President
and Vice President to submit 10 years of tax returns.
History: Introduced on January 3, 2019; House passed March 8,
2019. Committee consideration of provisions referred March 26,
2019
H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. Introduced on Jan-
uary 3, 2019, by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton. The legislation pro-
vides for admission into the United States of the state of Wash-
ington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory
of the District of Columbia. The state shall be admitted to the
Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the
District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elec-
tions to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the
state. The legislation applies current District laws to the state and
continues pending judicial proceedings. The state: (1) shall consist
of all District territory, with specified exclusions for federal build-
ings and monuments, including the principal federal monuments,
the White House, the Capitol Building, the U.S. Supreme Court
Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office
buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building;
and (2) may not impose taxes on federal property except as Con-
gress permits. District territory excluded from the state shall be
known as the Capital and shall be the seat of the federal govern-
ment. The bill maintains the federal government’s authority over
military lands and specified other property. The legislation pro-
vides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the
23rd Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the ap-
pointment of electors of the President and Vice President. The leg-
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islation continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities,
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including regarding employee benefits, agencies, courts, and college
tuition assistance, until the state certifies that it is prepared to
take over the authorities and responsibilities. The legislation estab-
lishes the Statehood Transition Commission to advise the Presi-
dent, Congress, and District and state leaders on the transition.
History: Introduced on January 3, 2019; Committee consideration,
see H.R. 5803 of ‘‘Bills Considered by Committee’’; House
passed June 26, 2020
H.R. 113, the All-American Flag Act. Introduced on January 3,
2019, by Rep. Cheri Bustos. This legislation prohibits agencies from
using funds to procure a U.S. flag unless such flag has been manu-
factured in the United States from materials that have been U.S.
grown, produced, or manufactured. The legislation specifies excep-
tions to this prohibition, including an exception if flags of satisfac-
tory quality and sufficient quantity cannot be procured as needed
at market prices.
History: Introduced on January 3, 2019; House passed January 15,
2019
H.R. 135, the Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Anti-
discrimination Act of 2019. Introduced on January 3, 2019, by Rep.
Elijah E. Cummings. This legislation requires each federal agency
to establish a model Equal Employment Opportunity Program that
is independent of the agency’s Human Capital or General Counsel
office, and it establishes requirements related to complaints of dis-
crimination and retaliation in the workplace. An agency must pub-
lish a notice of any final agency action or Equal Employment Op-
portunity Commission (EEOC) appellate decision involving a find-
ing of prohibited discrimination or retaliation, and it must report
certain data with respect to specified equal opportunity complaints.
Each agency must establish a system to track complaints of dis-
crimination and include a notation of any adverse action taken
against an employee for discrimination or retaliation in the employ-
ee’s personnel record. EEOC must refer to the Office of Special
Counsel (OSC) a matter about which it issues an appellate decision
involving a finding of discrimination or retaliation within a federal
agency, and the Office of Special Counsel shall accept and review
such referral for purposes of seeking disciplinary action. An em-
ployee who has authority to take, recommend, or approve any per-
sonnel action shall not implement or enforce a nondisclosure policy
that prohibits or restricts an employee from disclosing information
relating to: (1) a violation of any law, rule, or regulation; (2) mis-
management, gross waste of funds, or abuse of authority; (3) a sub-
stantial and specific danger to public health or safety; or (4) any
other whistle-blower protection.
History: Introduced on January 3, 2019; House passed January 15,
2019. House passed as part of H.R. 6395, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 July 21, 2020; House
passed as part of the conference report for H.R. 6395 December
8, 2020; Senate passed as part of the conference report for H.R.
6395 on December 11, 2020
H.R. 202, the Inspector General Access Act of 2019. Introduced
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on January 3, 2019, by Rep. Cedric Richmond. This legislation
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36
transfers responsibility for investigating certain allegations of mis-
conduct from the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility to the
DOJ Office of Inspector General. Specifically, the legislation trans-
fers responsibility for allegations relating to a DOJ attorney’s au-
thority to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice.
History: Introduced on January 3, 2019; House passed January 15,
2019
H.R. 247, the Federal CIO Authorization Act of 2019. Introduced
on January 4, 2019, by Rep. Will Hurd. This legislation reorganizes
OMB information technology (IT) activities and establishes new IT
reporting requirements. The legislation renames (1) the Office of E-
Government & Information Technology (E-Gov) as the Office of the
Federal Chief Information Officer (Federal CIO), and (2) the E-Gov-
ernment Fund as the Federal IT Fund. The office shall be headed
by a Federal Chief Information Officer who shall report directly to
the Director of OMB (currently, the head of E-Gov reports to the
Deputy Director). There is established in the office a Federal Chief
Information Security Officer. Agencies must report IT expenditures
to the Federal CIO. The Federal CIO must publish timely, search-
able, computer-readable data on agency IT expenditures, projects,
and programs. The Federal CIO shall submit to Congress a pro-
posal for consolidating IT across the federal government and in-
creasing the use of shared services.
History: Introduced on January 4, 2019; House passed January 15,
2019
H.R. 736, the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act.
Introduced on January 23, 2019, by Rep. Mike Quigley. This legis-
lation requires the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to estab-
lish and maintain a publicly available online portal containing cop-
ies of all congressionally mandated reports. A federal agency must
submit a congressionally mandated report and specified informa-
tion about the report to GPO between 30 and 45 calendar days
after submission of the report to either chamber or to any congres-
sional committee or subcommittee. Upon the written request of the
chair of a congressional committee or subcommittee to GPO, a re-
port submitted to that committee or subcommittee shall not be sub-
mitted or published on the portal. Federally chartered corporations
and GAO Office are excluded from the requirements of this legisla-
tion. OMB must issue guidance to federal agencies on the legisla-
tion’s requirement for agencies to submit copies of congressionally
mandated reports and related information to the GPO.
History: Introduced on January 23, 2019; House passed July 18,
2019
H.R. 790, Federal Civilian Workforce Pay Raise Fairness Act of
2019. Introduced on January 25, 2019, by Rep. Gerald Connolly.
This legislation increases by 2.6% the rates of basic pay for federal
civilian employees for 2019.
History: Introduced on January 25, 2019; House passed January
30, 2019
H.R. 995, the Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of
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2019. Introduced on February 6, 2019, by Rep. Gary Palmer. This
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legislation requires executive agencies to submit information re-
garding settlement agreements to a public database. Specifically,
an agency must submit information regarding any settlement
agreement (including a consent decree) entered into by the agency
related to an alleged violation of federal law. If an agency deter-
mines that information regarding an agreement must remain con-
fidential to protect the public interest, the agency must publish an
explanation of why the information is confidential.
History: Introduced on February 6, 2019; House passed February
13, 2019
H.R. 1063, the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2019.
Introduced on February 7, 2019, by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. This
legislation requires each presidential library fundraising organiza-
tion to submit quarterly reports to the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA) on every contributor who gave the
organization a contribution or contributions (whether monetary or
in-kind) totaling $200 or more for the quarterly period. NARA shall
publish such information on its website within 30 days after each
quarterly filing. It shall be unlawful for contributors or fundraising
organizations to knowingly and willfully submit false information
or omit material information.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; House passed February
11, 2019
H.R. 1064, To amend title 5, United States Code, to allow whis-
tleblowers to disclose information to certain recipients. Introduced
on February 7, 2019, by Rep. Katie Hill. This legislation modifies
whistle-blower protections for federal employees or applicants who
disclose classified national security information, or other protected
information, that evidences wrongdoing. Currently, it is unlawful
to retaliate against a federal employee for disclosing classified or
protected information of wrongdoing to one of the following recipi-
ents: (1) the Office of Inspector General of their agency, (2) the U.S.
Office of Special Counsel, or (3) a designated agency employee. This
legislation expands the list of recipients to whom a federal em-
ployee may make a protected disclosure to include a supervisor in
the employee’s direct chain of command.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; House passed February
11, 2019
H.R. 1065, the Social Media Use in Clearance Investigations Act
of 2019. Introduced on February 7, 2019, by Rep. Stephen F.
Lynch. This legislation directs the Office of Management and Budg-
et to report on the examination of social media activity during se-
curity clearance investigations.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2019; House passed February
11, 2020
H.R. 1140, the Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of
2020. Introduced on February 11, 2019, by Rep. Bennie G. Thomp-
son. This legislation modifies the workplace rights, protections, and
benefits applicable to Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) personnel. Specifically, the legislation within 180 days elimi-
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nates personnel authorities of DHS and the Department of Trans-
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portation governing the conditions of employment for TSA employ-
ees, thus making TSA employees subject to the personnel manage-
ment system applicable to other federal employees; sets forth tran-
sition rules that protect the pay rates, leave rights, and other
rights of TSA employees; and requires DHS to consult with the
labor organization certified by the Federal Labor Relations Author-
ity to carry out the conversion of such positions.
History: Introduced on February 11, 2019; House passed March 5,
2020
H.R. 1235, MSPB Temporary Term Extension Act. Introduced on
February 14, 2019, by Rep. Elijah Cummings. This legislation ex-
tends for one year the term of office of an individual who is cur-
rently serving as a member of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
History: Introduced on February 14, 2019; House passed February
25, 2019
H.R. 1446, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semi-
Postal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2019. Introduced on February
28, 2010, by Rep. William Lacy Clay. This legislation directs the
U.S. Postal Service to sell each copy of the Multinational Species
Conservation Fund Semi-Postal Stamp and notify Congress when
all copies have been sold.
History: Introduced on February 28, 2019; House passed November
20, 2019
H.R. 1496, the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 2019.
Introduced on March 5, 2019, by Rep. Jody B. Hice. This legislation
revises the compensation provided to a President who leaves office
after enactment of this legislation or such a President’s widow or
widower. Each such President, excluding a President removed from
office through impeachment, shall receive: (1) an annuity of
$200,000 per year for the remainder of the President’s life, and (2)
a monetary allowance of $200,000 per year. Such allowance shall
be reduced by the amount the President’s earned income exceeds
$400,000. These monetary amounts are subject to a cost-of-living
increase. The widow or widower of each such President shall be en-
titled to receive $100,000 per year, payable monthly, if such indi-
vidual waives the right to each other annuity or pension to which
the individual is entitled. This amount is subject to a cost-of-living
increase.
History: Introduced on March 5, 2019; Committee consideration
March 26, 2019; House passed October 16, 2019
H.R. 1582, the Electronic Message Preservation Act. Introduced
on March 7, 2019, by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. This legislation re-
quires the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
to regulate federal agency preservation of electronic messages that
are federal records. NARA’s regulations must: (1) require the elec-
tronic capture, management, and preservation of such records in
accordance with the Federal Records Act; (2) require such records
to be retrievable through electronic searches; (3) include timelines
for federal agency implementation of the regulations that ensure
compliance as expeditiously as practicable; (4) establish functional
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requirements for electronic records management systems and a
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process to ensure that such systems meet the functional require-
ments; and (5) include requirements for the capture, management,
and preservation of other electronic records. Agencies must publicly
report on their compliance with the regulations. NARA must: (1)
establish standards for the management of electronic presidential
records during a President’s term of office, (2) certify annually
whether a President’s electronic records management controls meet
the requirements of the Presidential Records Act, and (3) report
after the conclusion of a President’s term of office regarding elec-
tronic records deposited into the presidential archival depository
and whether electronic records management controls met specified
requirements.
History: Introduced on March 7, 2019; House passed March 12,
2019. House passed as part of H.R. 6395, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 July 21, 2020; House
passed portions of the bill as part of the conference report for
H.R. 6395 December 8, 2020; Senate passed as part of the con-
ference report for H.R. 6395 on December 11, 2020
H.R. 1608, the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of
2019. Introduced on March 7, 2019, by Rep. William Lacy Clay.
This legislation revises provisions regarding federal advisory com-
mittees, including to: (1) require designation of committee members
as special government employees or representatives, (2) apply the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to subcommittees and
subgroups, and (3) require publication of certain information about
advisory committees. The legislation requires appointments to advi-
sory committees to be made without regard to political affiliation
or campaign activity, unless required by federal statute.
History: Introduced on March 7, 2019; House passed March 12,
2019
H.R. 1654, the Federal Register Modernization Act. Introduced
on March 8, 2019, by Rep. Mark Meadows. This legislation revises
provisions regarding the Federal Register or the Code of Federal
Regulations, including to replace requirements that the documents
be printed with requirements that the documents be published.
History: Introduced on March 8, 2019; House passed March 12,
2019
H.R. 1847, the Inspector General Protection Act. Introduced on
March 21, 2019, by Rep. Ted Lieu. This legislation requires the
President to notify Congress each time the President places an in-
spector general on nonduty status. If the President fails, within
210 days, to make a formal nomination for a vacant inspector gen-
eral position that requires a formal nomination by the President to
be filled, the President shall communicate to Congress within 30
days after the end of such period: (1) the reasons why the President
has not yet made a formal nomination, and (2) a target date for
making a formal nomination.
History: Introduced on March 21, 2019; Committee consideration
March 26, 2019; House passed July 17, 2019
H.R. 2382, the USPS Fairness Act. Introduced on April 29, 2019,
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by Rep. Peter DeFazio. This legislation repeals the requirement
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that the U.S. Postal Service annually prepay future retirement
health benefits.
History: Introduced on April 29, 2019; House passed February 5,
2020
H.R. 3830, the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act. Introduced on July
18, 2019, by Rep. Tim Walberg. This legislation requires OMB to
expand the information it publishes in its inventory of agency pro-
grams. The inventory must include information such as links to
program performance reviews and details regarding financial as-
sistance.
History: Introduced on July 18, 2019; Committee consideration De-
cember 19, 2019; House passed February 5, 2020; House passed
as part of H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2021 July 21, 2020; House passed portions of
the bill as part of the conference report for H.R. 6395 December
8, 2020; Senate passed as part of the conference report for H.R.
6395 on December 11, 2020
H.R. 3941, the FedRAMP Authorization Act. Introduced on July
24, 2019, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This legislation provides
statutory authority for the Federal Risk and Authorization Man-
agement Program (FedRAMP) within GSA. GSA must establish a
government-wide program that provides the authoritative stand-
ardized approach to security assessment and authorization for
cloud computing products and services that process unclassified in-
formation used by agencies. Agencies must ensure that their cloud
computing services meet GSA requirements. The legislation estab-
lishes the Joint Authorization Board to conduct security assess-
ments of cloud computing services and issue provisional authoriza-
tions to operate to cloud service providers that meet FedRAMP se-
curity guidelines. GSA shall: (1) determine the requirements for
certification of independent assessment organizations, and (2) es-
tablish the Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee.
History: Introduced on July 24, 2019; Committee consideration De-
cember 19, 2019; House passed February 5, 2020
H.R. 4894, the Congressional Budget Justification Transparency
Act of 2020. Introduced on October 29, 2019, by Rep. Mike Quigley.
This legislation requires federal agencies to make budget justifica-
tion materials available to the public. The legislation also requires
OMB to make certain details regarding the materials available to
the public, including a list of the agencies that submit budget jus-
tification materials to Congress, the dates that the materials are
submitted to Congress and posted online, and links to the mate-
rials.
History: Introduced on October 29, 2019; Committee consideration
March 4, 2020; House passed September 14, 2020
H.R. 5858, the Federal Employee Parental Leave Corrections
Act. Introduced on March 10, 2020 by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation makes amendments to the Family and Medical
Leave Act (P.L. 103–3) to ensure that all federal employees are eli-
gible for 12 weeks of paid parental leave, including among others
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employees of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Executive
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Office of the President and certain employees of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
History: Introduced on March 10, 2020; House passed as part of
H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2021 July 21, 2020; House passed as part of the conference
report for H.R. 6395 December 8, 2020; Senate passed as part
of the conference report for H.R. 6395 on December 11, 2020
H.R. 6020, To Require an Evaluation by the Government Ac-
countability Office of the Social, Economic, and Historic Contribu-
tions that Minor League Baseball Has Made to American Life and
Culture. Introduced on February 28, 2020, by Rep. Lori Trahan.
This legislation directs the Government Accountability Office to
evaluate the social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor
League Baseball has made to American life and culture.
History: Introduced on February 28, 2020; Committee consideration
March 4, 2020; House passed March 10, 2020
H.R. 7340, the Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act of 2020.
Introduced on June 25, 2020, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This leg-
islation requires federal agencies to develop and disclose reopening
plans that incorporate certain information before sending employ-
ees back to work during a public health emergency, such as the
emergency relating to COVID–19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Specifically, the legislation requires an agency to post a reopening
plan on its website at least 30 days before reopening a facility.
Among other information, the plan must detail: (1) the personal
protective equipment that the agency will provide to its employees;
(2) protections for employees whose work requires them to be in
nonfederal buildings, such as auditors; and (3) potential measures
to reverse the reopening that still ensure the continuity of oper-
ations. Each agency’s Office of Inspector General must report on
whether the agency has complied with this legislation’s require-
ments and whether the agency has provided adequate PPE for its
employees.
History: Introduced on June 25, 2020; Committee consideration Sep-
tember 16, 2020; House passed September 30, 2020
H.R. 7448, the Telework for U.S. Innovation Act. Introduced by
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly on July 1, 2020. This bill makes perma-
nent the Telework Enhancement Act Pilot Program in the U.S. Pat-
ent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The program allows USPTO
employees to telework from locations across the United States;
USPTO may cover any necessary travel expenses to and from an
agency worksite. The program is set to expire on December 31,
2020.
History: Introduced July 1 2020; House passed as part of H.R.
6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2021 July 21, 2020; House passed as part of the conference re-
port for H.R. 6395 December 8, 2020; Senate passed as part of
the conference report for H.R. 6395 on December 11, 2020
H.R. 7496, the COVID PREPARE Act of 2020. Introduced on
July 6, 2020, by Rep. Bradley Schneider. This legislation requires
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federal agencies to submit to Congress plans for responding to any
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resurgence of COVID–19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifi-
cally, each agency shall submit: (1) an initial report detailing an ac-
tion plan, informed by research and best practices learned from the
onset of COVID–19 and previous presidentially declared emer-
gencies, for addressing the needs and mitigating and eliminating
the risks and challenges associated with any resurgence in
COVID–19 cases; and (2) subsequent reports, on a quarterly basis
until the President ends the declared emergency, that update the
details submitted in the plan. The initial report shall include agen-
cy priorities for preparing for and responding to any resurgence;
measurable goals specific to priorities and a time line for address-
ing each priority; anticipated challenges to addressing priorities
and how the agency will address such challenges; how the agency
will consult with Congress, the public, state and municipal govern-
ments, and relevant stakeholders while working remotely; and how
the agency plans to issue relevant guidance to entities under the
jurisdiction of the agency.
History: Introduced on July 6, 2020; Committee consideration Sep-
tember 16, 2020; House passed September 30, 2020
H.R. 7512, the COMMS Act. Introduced on July 9, 2020, by Rep.
Susan Davis. This legislation renames the House Commission on
Congressional Mailing Standards as the House Communications
Standards Commission, to extend the authority of the Commission
to regulate mass mailings of Members and Members-elect of the
House of Representatives to all unsolicited mass communications of
Members and Members-elect of the House, and for other purposes.
History: Introduced on July 09, 2020; House passed July 30, 2020
H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act. Introduced on August
11, 2020, by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney. This legislation prohibits
the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from making changes to operations
or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1,
2020. Specifically, the USPS may not, during the period beginning
on enactment of this legislation and ending on the last day of the
COVID–19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency
or January 1, 2021, whichever is later, implement or approve any
change to the operations or the level of service that would impede
prompt, reliable, and efficient services, including changes in the na-
ture of services that will generally affect service on a nationwide
basis; revisions of service standards; closures or consolidations of
post offices or reduction of facility hours; prohibitions on payment
of overtime pay to USPS officers or employees; changes that would
prevent the USPS from meeting its service standards or that would
reduce measurements of performance concerning those standards;
changes that would have the effect of delaying mail, allowing non-
delivery to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of undeliv-
ered mail.
History: Introduced on August 11, 2020; House passed August 22,
2020
S. 3989, the Semiquincentennial Commission Amendments Act.
Introduced by Senator Pat Toomey on June 17, 2020. This legisla-
tion Act changes certain requirements of the Commission estab-
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lished commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the
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United States. The bill would modify the membership of the com-
mission and grant the commission the power to authorize and li-
cense official products and logos.
History: Introduced on June 17, 2020; Senate passed July 21, 2020;
House passed December 17, 2020, with an amendment; Senate
passed amended version December 19, 2020
S. 5036, Secret Service Overtime Pay Extension Act. Introduced
by Senator Lindsey Graham on December 16, 2020. This bill ex-
tends the authority of the U.S. Secret Service set to expire Decem-
ber 31, 2020 to pay its employees in excess of the pay cap estab-
lished in section 5545 of title 5 U.S.C. by three additional years.
It also requires reporting by the Secret Service to Congress on ef-
forts to improve personnel management at the Service.
History: Introduced on December 16, 2020; Senate passed December
16; House passed December 18, 2020
E. LEGISLATION CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE
H.R. 391, the White House Ethics Transparency Act of 2019. In-
troduced on January 9, 2019, by Rep. Stephen L. Lynch. The legis-
lation creates transparency requirements for ethics waivers (i.e.,
waivers from the requirement to sign an ethics pledge) issued to
executive branch appointees. Specifically, such ethics waivers must
be transmitted to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and made
publicly available online.
History: Introduced on January 9, 2019; Committee passed June 12,
2019. Included in H.R. 1 which passed the House March 8,
2019
H.R. 745, the Executive Branch Comprehensive Ethics Enforce-
ment Act of 2019. Introduced on January 24, 2019, by Rep. Jamie
Raskin. The legislation expands the duties and authorities of OGE
and reauthorizes OGE through FY2023. Among other things, the
legislation authorizes the Office of Government Ethics to issue sub-
poenas during investigations, and order corrective actions (e.g., di-
vestiture) and issue administrative remedies (e.g., suspension or
demotion). OGE must provide ethics education and training to all
designated and alternate designated agency ethics officials, who
must register with, and report to, OGE and their appointing au-
thority. Agency ethics officials must provide specified ethics records
to the Office of OGE in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable
format; such information must be published on the OGE’s website.
History: Introduced on January 24, 2019; Committee passed March
26, 2019. Included in H.R. 1 which passed the House March 8,
2019
H.R. 964, the Transition Team Ethics Improvement Act. Intro-
duced on February 5, 2019, by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. The legis-
lation requires a President-elect to submit to Congress a report
with a list of any individual: (1) for whom an application for a secu-
rity clearance was submitted, by 10 days after its submission; or
(2) provided a security clearance, by 10 days after it was provided.
The Federal Transition Coordinator must negotiate a memorandum
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of understanding with the transition representative of each eligible
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candidate by October 1 (currently November 1) of a year during
which a presidential election occurs. Each memorandum of under-
standing shall include an agreement that the eligible candidate will
implement and enforce an ethics plan to guide the conduct of the
transition beginning on the date on which the candidate becomes
the President-elect. The ethics plan shall include a description of
the ethics requirements that will apply to all transition team mem-
bers; a description of how the transition team will address the role
on the team of registered lobbyists, former registered lobbyists, per-
sons registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, foreign
nationals, other foreign agents, and transition team members with
sources of income or clients that are not disclosed to the public; a
Code of Ethical Conduct, to which each transition team member
will sign and be subject to, that reflects the content of the ethics
plans and that meets other specified requirements; and a descrip-
tion of how the transition team will enforce the Code of Ethical
Conduct.
History: Introduced on February 5, 2019; Committee passed March
26, 2019. Included in H.R. 1 which passed the House March 8,
2019
H.R. 2003, the Ensuring FEHBP Coverage During Shutdowns
Act. Introduced on April 1, 2019, by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. The
legislation provides statutory authority to allow federal employees
to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program or
make changes to their enrollment due to a qualifying life event,
during a lapse in appropriations for the federal government. Spe-
cifically, the bill designates the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program services as excepted services under the Anti-Deficiency
Act.
History: Introduced on April 1, 2019; Committee passed June 12,
2019
H.R. 2004, the Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During
Shutdowns Act. Introduced on April 1, 2019, by Rep. Elijah E.
Cummings. The legislation prohibits the termination of federal-em-
ployee dental, vision, and long-term-care insurance coverage as a
result of unpaid premiums or other periodic charges in the event
of a lapse in appropriations that results in an employee being fur-
loughed or an excepted employee working without pay. This in-
cludes supplemental dental, vision, and long-term-care insurance
policies.
History: Introduced on April 1, 2019; Committee passed June 12,
2019
H.R. 2530, the Interim Stay Authority to Protect Whistleblowers
Act. Introduced on May 7, 2019, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. The
legislation authorizes the general counsel of the Merit Systems Pro-
tection Board to temporarily act as a member of the board when
dealing with matters related to the staying of certain personnel ac-
tions, and it authorizes a single member of the board to carry out
certain board duties in the event of a lack of quorum.
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History: Introduced on May 7, 2019; Committee passed June 12,
2019
H.R. 2978, the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission Reauthorization Act of 2019. Introduced on May 23,
2019, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. The legislation reauthorizes the
National Historical Publications and Records Commissions, was in-
troduced by Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Con-
nolly and Ranking Member Meadows on May 23, 2019. The legisla-
tion would authorize appropriations of $15 million annually for fis-
cal years 2020 through 2025. The legislation also adds the Council
of State Archivists, a nonprofit membership organization of the
state and territorial government archivists, as a member of the Na-
tional Historical Publications and Records Commissions.
History: Introduced on May 23, 2019; Committee passed June 12,
2019
H.R. 3883, the Restore the Partnership Act. Introduced on July
23, 2019, by Rep. Gerald Connolly. The legislation reconstitutes the
Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) as
the 31-member Commission on Intergovernmental Relations of the
United States to bring together federal, state, local, and—for the
first time—tribal stakeholders to engage essential and complex
issues that require cooperation among the levels of government in
the United States. The legislation would create a commission to
convene experts, provide technical assistance, and recommend solu-
tions that lead to more appropriate delegations of governmental
functions.
History: Introduced on July 23, 2019; Committee considered on De-
cember 19, 2019
H.R. 4382, the Integrity Committee Transparency Act of 2019.
Introduced on September 18, 2019, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly.
The legislation expands the membership of the Council of Inspec-
tors General on Integrity and Efficiency to include a former inspec-
tor general and revises requirements regarding the council’s Integ-
rity Committee. The Integrity Committee must provide additional
information to: (1) the council when requesting an extension of
time to evaluate an allegation of wrongdoing, and (2) Congress and
the council when it closes an allegation without referral to the
council for investigation. The committee must brief congressional
committees on its activities every six months.
History: Introduced on September 18, 2019; Committee passed Sep-
tember 16, 2020
H.R. 5803, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. Introduced on
February 7, 2020, by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton. The legislation
provides for admission into the United States of the state of Wash-
ington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory
of the District of Columbia. The commonwealth shall be admitted
to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor
of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first
elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the
commonwealth. The legislation applies current District laws to the
commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The
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commonwealth: (1) shall consist of all District territory, with speci-
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fied exclusions for federal buildings and monuments, including the
principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Build-
ing, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive,
legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall
and the Capitol Building; and (2) may not impose taxes on federal
property except as Congress permits. District territory excluded
from the commonwealth shall be known as the Capital and shall
be the seat of the federal government. The bill maintains the fed-
eral government’s authority over military lands and specified other
property. The legislation provides for expedited consideration of a
joint resolution repealing the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution,
which provides for the appointment of electors of the President and
Vice President. The legislation continues certain federal authorities
and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agen-
cies, courts, and college tuition assistance, until the commonwealth
certifies that it is prepared to take over the authorities and respon-
sibilities. The legislation establishes the Statehood Transition Com-
mission to advise the President, Congress, and District and com-
monwealth leaders on the transition.
History: Introduced on February 7, 2020; Committee passed Feb-
ruary 11, 2020. See H.R. 51 for House passage
H.R. 7107, the PLUM Act of 2020. Introduced on June 4, 2020,
by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney. The legislation replaces the congres-
sional publication entitled United States Government Policy and
Supporting Positions, commonly known as the PLUM Book, with
an online public directory. The PLUM Book contains personnel in-
formation for federal civil service leadership and support positions
in the legislative and executive branches that may be subject to
noncompetitive appointment, including heads of agencies and policy
executives. The book is used to identify presidentially appointed po-
sitions and is published every four years (after each presidential
election) by certain congressional committees. The legislation re-
quires OPM to publish the information contained in the PLUM
Book on a public website in a format that is easily searchable and
that otherwise meets certain data standards. Agencies must upload
updated information to the website on a monthly basis; OPM must
verify the accuracy of the information twice a year in coordination
with the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. The legisla-
tion terminates publication of the PLUM Book in its current form
on January 1, 2024.
History: Introduced on June 4, 2020; Committee passed September
16, 2020
H.R. 7548, the Made in America: Preparation for a Pandemic Act
of 2020. Introduced on July 9, 2020, by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney.
The legislation establishes a pandemic preparation tax credit and
a requirement to maintain in the Strategic National Stockpile a
specified amount of personal protective equipment. The pandemic
preparation tax credit is an amount equal to 20% of the qualified
expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer for purposes of pro-
ducing personal protective equipment that qualifies for addition to
the Strategic National Stockpile. OMB shall ensure that the stock-
pile includes an amount of personal protective equipment sufficient
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to meet the health security needs of the United States for one year
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during a pandemic or other emergency. The legislation requires
that at least 25% of the personal protective equipment in the stock-
pile be produced domestically, with exceptions. If OMB determines
that the requirement is not satisfied, it shall: (1) notify specified
congressional committees on a quarterly basis; and (2) post each
notification on a General Services Administration website.
History: Introduced on July 9, 2020; Committee passed September
16, 2020
H.R. 7936, the Federal Employee Access to Information Act. In-
troduced on August 4, 2020, by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney. The legis-
lation prohibits personnel retaliation against federal employees and
applicants for employment who file requests under the Freedom of
Information Act or the Privacy Act or who seek related administra-
tive or judicial actions.
History: Introduced on August 4, 2020; Committee passed Sep-
tember 16, 2020
H.R. 8109, the Nonpartisan Postmaster General Act of 2020. In-
troduced on August 25, 2020, by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney. The leg-
islation restricts the political activities of the members of the Post-
al Service Board of Governors, including the Postmaster General
and the Deputy Postmaster General. Specifically, the legislation
prohibits: (1) the Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster
General from taking an active part in political management or po-
litical campaigns; and (2) the Board of Governors, the Postmaster
General, and the Deputy Postmaster General from holding any po-
litical position while in office or soliciting funds for the campaign
of a candidate for elected office or for a political party. An indi-
vidual must make certain financial disclosures prior to assuming
the duties of Postmaster General or Deputy Postmaster General.
History: Introduced on August 25, 2020; Committee passed Sep-
tember 16, 2020
F. POSTAL NAMING MEASURES ENACTED INTO LAW
H.R. 540, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, as the
‘‘Louise and Bob Slaughter Post Office’’. Introduced on January 14,
2019, by Rep. Joseph D. Moelle.
H.R. 828, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 25 Route 111 in Smithtown, New York, as the
‘‘Congressman Bill Carney Post Office’’. Introduced on January 28,
2019, by Rep. Lee M. Zeldin.
H.R. 829, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1450 Montauk Highway in Mastic, New York, as
the ‘‘Army Specialist Thomas J. Wilwerth Post Office Building’’. In-
troduced on January 28, 2019, by Rep. Lee M. Zeldin.
H.R. 887, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 877 East 1200 South in Orem, Utah, as the
‘‘Jerry C. Washburn Post Office Building’’. Introduced on January
30, 2019, by Rep. John R. Curtis.
H.R. 1198, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
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Service located at 404 South Boulder Highway in Henderson, Ne-
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vada, as the ‘‘Henderson Veterans Memorial Post Office Building’’.
Introduced on February 13, 2019, by Rep. Susie Lee.
H.R. 1250, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 11158 Highway 146 North in Hardin, Texas, as
the ‘‘Lucas Lowe Memorial Post Office’’. Introduced on February 14,
2019, by Rep. Brian Babin.
H.R. 1252, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 6531 Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys, Cali-
fornia, as the ‘‘Marilyn Monroe Post Office’’. Introduced on Feb-
ruary 14, 2019, by Rep. Tony Cárdenas.
H.R. 1253, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 13507 Van Nuys Boulevard in Pacoima, Cali-
fornia, as the ‘‘Ritchie Valens Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
February 14, 2019, by Rep. Tony Cárdenas.
H.R. 1449, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 3033 203rd Street in Olympia Fields, Illinois, as
the ‘‘Captain Robert L. Martin Post Office’’. Introduced on February
28, 2019, by Rep. Robin Kelly.
H.R. 1526, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 200 Israel Road Southeast in Tumwater, Wash-
ington, as the ‘‘Eva G. Hewitt Post Office’’. Introduced on March 5,
2019, by Rep. Denny Heck.
S. 725, To change the address of the postal facility designated in
honor of Captain Humayun Khan. Introduced on March 7, 2019, by
Sen. Tim Kaine.
H,.R. 1833, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 35 Tulip Avenue in Floral Park, New York, as
the ‘‘Lieutenant Michael R. Davidson Post Office Building’’. Intro-
duced on March 18, 2019, by Kathleen M. Rice.
H.R. 1844, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 66 Grove Court in Elgin, Illinois, as the ‘‘Cor-
poral Alex Martinez Memorial Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
March 21, 2019, by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
H.R. 1972, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1100 West Kent Avenue in Missoula, Montana,
as the ‘‘Jeannette Rankin Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
March 28, 2019, by Rep. Greg Gianforte.
H.R. 2151, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 7722 South Main Street in Pine Plains, New
York, as the ‘‘Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent Post Of-
fice’’. Introduced on April 9, 2019, by Rep. Antonio Delgado.
S. 1196, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1715 Linnerud Drive in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin,
as the ‘‘Fire Captain Cory Barr Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on April 11, 2019, by Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
H.R. 2246, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 201 West Cherokee Street in Brookhaven, Mis-
sissippi, as the ‘‘Deputy Donald William Durr, Corporal Zach Moak,
and Patrolman James White Memorial Post Office Building’’. Intro-
duced by on April 10, 2019 by Rep. Michael Guest.
H.R. 2325, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 100 Calle Alondra in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as
the ‘‘65th Infantry Regiment Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
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April 15, 2019, by Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón.
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H.R. 2451, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 575 Dexter Street in Central Falls, Rhode Island,
as the ‘‘Elizabeth Buffum Chace Post Office’’. Introduced on May 1,
2019, by Rep. David N. Cicilline.
H.R. 2454, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 123 East Sharpfish Street in Rosebud, South Da-
kota, as the ‘‘Ben Reifel Post Office Building’’. Introduced on May
1, 2019, by Rep. Dusty Johnson.
H.R. 2969, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1401 1st Street North in Winter Haven, Florida,
as the ‘‘Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building’’. Intro-
duced on May 23, 2019, by Rep. Darren Soto.
H.R. 3005, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 13308 Midland Road in Poway, California, as the
‘‘Ray Chavez Post Office Building’’. Introduced on May 23, 2019, by
Rep. Scott H. Peters.
H.R. 3144, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 8520 Michigan Avenue in Whittier, California, as
the ‘‘Jose Ramos Post Office Building’’. Introduced on June 5, 2019,
by Rep. Linda T. Sánchez.
H.R. 3207, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 114 Mill Street in Hookstown, Pennsylvania, as
the ‘‘Staff Sergeant Dylan Elchin Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on June 11, 2019, by Rep. Conner Lamb.
H.R. 3275, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 340 Wetmore Avenue in Grand River, Ohio, as
the ‘‘Lance Corporal Andy ‘Ace’ Nowacki Post Office’’. Introduced on
June 13, 2019, by Rep. David P. Joyce.
H.R. 3305, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 2509 George Mason Drive in Virginia Beach, Vir-
ginia, as the ‘‘Ryan Keith Cox Post Office Building’’. Introduced
June 18, 2019, by Rep. Elaine G. Luria.
H.R. 3314, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1750 McCulloch Boulevard North in Lake
Havasu City, Arizona, as the ‘‘Lake Havasu City Combat Veterans
Memorial Post Office Building’’. Introduced on June 18, 2019, by
Rep. Paul A. Gosar.
H.R. 3317, To permit the Scipio A. Jones Post Office in Little
Rock, Arkansas, to accept and display a portrait of Scipio A. Jones,
and for other purposes. Introduced on June 18, 2019, by Rep.
French J. Hill.
H.R. 3329, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 5186 Benito Street in Montclair, California, as
the ‘‘Paul Eaton Post Office Building’’. Introduced on June 18,
2019, by Rep. Norma J. Torres.
H.R. 3680, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 415 North Main Street in Henning, Tennessee,
as the ‘‘Paula Croom Robinson and Judy Spray Memorial Post Of-
fice Building’’. Introduced on July 10, 2019, by Rep. David Kustoff.
H.R. 3847, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 117 West Poythress Street in Hopewell, Virginia,
as the ‘‘Reverend Curtis West Harris Post Office Building’’. Intro-
duced on July 18, 2019, by Rep. Donald A. McEachin.
H.R. 3870, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
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Service located at 511 West 165th Street in New York, New York,
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as the ‘‘Normandia Maldonado Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
July 22, 2019, by Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
H.R. 4034, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 602 Pacific Avenue in Bremerton, Washington,
as the ‘‘John Henry Turpin Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
July 25, 2019, by Rep. Derek Kilmer.
H.R. 4200, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 321 South 1st Street in Montrose, Colorado, as
the ‘‘Sergeant David Kinterknecht Post Office’’. Introduced on Au-
gust 20, 2019, by Rep. Scott R. Tipton.
H.R. 4279, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 445 Main Street in Laceyville, Pennsylvania, as
the ‘‘Melinda Gene Piccotti Post Office’’. Introduced on September
11, 2019, by Rep. Fred Keller.
H.R. 4672, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 21701 Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino,
California, as the ‘‘Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G.
Axelson Post Office Building’’. Introduced on October 15, 2019, by
Rep. Ro Khanna.
H.R. 4725, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 8585 Criterion Drive in Colorado Springs, Colo-
rado, as the ‘‘Chaplain (Capt.) Dale Goetz Memorial Post Office
Building’’. Introduced on October 27, 2019, by Rep. Doug Lamborn.
H.R. 4734, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 171 South Maple Street in Dana, Indiana, as the
‘‘Ernest ‘Ernie’ T. Pyle Post Office’’. Introduced on October 18,
2019, by Rep. Larry Bucshon.
H.R. 4785, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1305 U.S. Highway 90 West in Castroville,
Texas, as the ‘‘Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan Post Office’’.
Introduced on October 22, 2019, by Rep. Will Hurd.
H.R. 4794, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 8320 13th Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, as the
‘‘Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on October 22, 2019, by Rep. Max Rose.
H.R. 4875, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 2201 E. Maple Street in North Canton, Ohio, as
the ‘‘Lance Cpl. Stacy ‘Annie’ Dryden Post Office’’. Introduced on
October 28, 2019, by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez.
H.R. 4971, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 15 East Market Street in Leesburg, Virginia, as
the ‘‘Norman Duncan Post Office Building’’. Introduced on October
31, 2019, by Rep. Jennifer Wexton.
H.R. 4975, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1201 Sycamore Square Drive in Midlothian, Vir-
ginia, as the ‘‘Dorothy Braden Bruce Post Office Building. Intro-
duced on November 1, 2019, by Rep. Abigail Davis Spanberger.
H.R. 4981, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 2505 Derita Avenue in Charlotte, North Caro-
lina, as the ‘‘Julius L. Chambers Civil Rights Memorial Post Of-
fice’’. Introduced on November 15, 2019, by Rep. Alma Adams.
H.R. 5037, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 3703 North Main Street in Farmville, North
Carolina, as the ‘‘Walter B. Jones, Jr. Post Office’’. Introduced on
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November 12, 2019, by Rep. Gregory Murphy.
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H.R. 5062, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 9930 Conroy Windermere Road in Windermere,
Florida, as the ‘‘Officer Robert German Post Office Building’’. Intro-
duced on November 13, 2019, by Rep. Val Demmigs.
H.R. 5307, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 115 Nicol Avenue in Thomasville, Alabama, as
the ‘‘Postmaster Robert Ingram Post Office’’. Introduced on Decem-
ber 5, 2019, by Rep. Terri A. Sewell.
H.R. 5317, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 315 Addicks Howell Rd. in Houston, Texas, as
the ‘‘Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Building’’. Intro-
duced on December 5, 2019, by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher.
H.R. 5384, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 100 Crosby Street in Mansfield, Louisiana, as
the ‘‘Dr. C.O. Simpkins, Sr., Post Office’’. Introduced on December
10, 2019, by Rep. Mike Johnson.
H.R. 5954, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 108 West Maple Street in Holly, Michigan, as the
‘‘Holly Veterans Memorial Post Office’’.
Introduced on February 25, 2020, by Rep. Elissa Slotkin S. 3105,
A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 456 North Meridian Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, as
the ‘‘Richard G. Lugar Post Office’’. Introduced on December 18,
2019, by Sen. Mike Braun.
G. POSTAL NAMING MEASURES PASSED BY THE HOUSE
H.R. 3152, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 456 North Meridian Street in Indianapolis, Indi-
ana, as the ‘‘Richard G. Lugar Post Office’’. Introduced on June 6,
2019, by Rep. Andre Carson.
H.R. 3976, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 12711 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michi-
gan, as the ‘‘Aretha Franklin Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
July 25, 2019, by Rep. Brenda L. Lawrence. Passed by the Senate
on December 18, 2020.
H.R. 4988, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 14 Walnut Street in Bordentown, New Jersey, as
the ‘‘Clara Barton Post Office Building’’. Introduced on November
5, 2019 by Rep. Andy Kim. Passed the Senate on December 18,
2020.
H.R. 5123, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 476 East Main Street in Galesburg, Illinois, as
the ‘‘Senior Airman Daniel Miller Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on November 15, 2019 by Rep. Cheri Bustos. Passed by the Decem-
ber 18, 2020.
H.R. 5451, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 599 East Genesse Street in Fayetteville, New
York, as the ‘‘George H. Bacel Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
December 17, 2019 by Rep. John Katko. Passed the Senate on De-
cember 18, 2020.
H.R. 5562, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 4650 East Rosedale Street in Fort Worth, Texas,
as the ‘‘Dionne Phillips Bagsby Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
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January 8, 2020 by Rep. Marc Veasey.
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H.R. 5597, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 305 Northwest 5th Street in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, as the ‘‘Clara Luper Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on January 14, 2020, by Rep. Kendra Horn. Passed the Senate De-
cember 17, 2020.
H.R. 5987, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 909 West Holiday Drive in Fate, Texas, as the
‘‘Ralph Hall Post Office’’. Introduced on February 27, 2020 by Rep.
John Ratcliffe.
H.R. 5972, Mary Ann Shadd Cary Post Office Dedication Act. In-
troduced on February 26, 2020 by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Passed the Senate December 18, 2020. Passed the Senate Decem-
ber 18, 2020.
H.R. 5983, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 4150 Chicago Avenue in Riverside, California, as
the ‘‘Woodie Rucker-Hughes Post Office Building’’. Introduced on
February 26, 2020 by Rep. Mark Takano. Passed the Senate De-
cember 18, 2020.
H.R. 5988, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 2600 Wesley Street in Greenville, Texas, as the
‘‘Audie Murphy Post Office Building’’. Introduced on February 27,
2020, by Rep. John Ratcliffe.
H.R. 6016, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 14955 West Bell Road in Surprise, Arizona, as
the ‘‘Marc Lee Memorial Post Office Building’’. Introduced on Feb-
ruary 28, 2020. Passed the Senate December 18, 2020.
H.R. 6161, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1585 Yanceyville Street in Greensboro, North
Carolina, as the ‘‘J. Howard Coble Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on March 9, 2020 by Rep. Mark Walker. Passed the Senate Decem-
ber 18, 2020.
H.R. 6418, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 509 Fairhope Avenue in Fairhope, Alabama, as
the ‘‘William ‘Jack’ Jackson Edwards III Post Office Building’’. In-
troduced on March 31, 2020 by Rep. Bradley Byrne. Passed the
Senate December 18, 2020.
H.R. 7088, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 111 James Street in Reidsville, Georgia, as the
‘‘Senator Jack Hill Post Office Building’’. Introduced on June 4,
2020 by Rep. Earl L. ‘‘Buddy’’ Carter. Passed the Senate December
18, 2020.
H.R. 7502, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 101 South 16th Street in Clarinda, Iowa, as the
‘‘Jessie Field Shambaugh Post Office Building’’. Introduced on July
9, 2020 by Rep. Cynthia Axne. Passed the Senate December 18,
2020.
H.R. 7810, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 3519 East Walnut Street in Pearland, Texas, as
the ‘‘Tom Reid Post Office Building’’. Introduced on July 29, 2020
by Rep. Pete Olson. Passed the Senate December 18, 2020.
H.R. 8611, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 4755 Southeast Dixie Highway in Port Salerno,
Florida, as the ‘‘Joseph Bullock Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on October 16, 2020 by Rep. Brian Mast. Passed the Senate Decem-
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ber 18, 2020.
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S. 3257, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 311 West Wisconsin Avenue in Tomahawk, Wis-
consin, as the ‘‘Einar ‘Sarge’ H. Ingman, Jr. Post Office Building’’.
Introduced on February 5, 2020 by Senator Ron Johnson. Passed
the House December 10, 2020.
S. 3461, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 2600 Wesley Street in Greenville, Texas, as the
‘‘Audie Murphy Post Office Building’’. Introduced on March 12,
2020 by Senator John Cornyn. Passed the House December 10,
2020.
S. 3462, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 909 West Holiday Drive in Fate, Texas, as the
‘‘Ralph Hall Post Office’’. Introduced on March 12, 2020 by Senator
John Cornyn. Passed the House December 10, 2020.
S. 4126, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 104 East Main Street in Port Washington, Wis-
consin, as the ‘‘Joseph G. Demler Post Office’’. Introduced on July
1, 2020 by Senator Ron Johnson. Passed the House December 10,
2020.
S. 4684, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 440 Arapahoe Street in Thermopolis, Wyoming,
as the ‘‘Robert L. Brown Post Office’’. Introduced on September 24,
2020 by Senator Michael Enzi. Passed the House December 10,
2020.
H. POSTAL NAMING MEASURES APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE
H.R. 2277, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1715 Linnerud Drive in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin,
as the ‘‘Fire Captain Cory Barr Post Office Building’’. Introduced
on April 10, 2019, by Rep. Mark Pocan.
H.R. 5061, To designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 42 Main Street in Slatersville, Rhode Island, as
the ‘‘Specialist Matthew R. Turcotte Post Office’’. Introduced on No-
vember 13, 2019, by Rep. David N. Cicillini.
V. SUMMARY OF OVERSIGHT PLAN AND CORRESPONDING
ACTIONS
Pursuant to Rule X, Clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives the Committee adopted an oversight plan at the begin-
ning of the 116th Congress. The plan consisted of topics designated
for investigation, evaluation, and review by then-Chairman Elijah
E. Cummings, in consultation with then-Ranking Member Jim Jor-
dan, other Committee Members, and other Committees.
The plan highlighted intended subjects of oversight, including:
• Health Care, including the costs of prescription drugs, the
opioid crisis, program integrity the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) as well as barriers to health care ac-
cess with particular attention to the ability of communities of
color, women, and the LGBTQ population to access the full
continuum of health care services;
• Executive Branch ethics, transparency, and accountability,
including possible self-dealing and violations of ethics laws by
senior Executive Branch officials, numerous violations of the
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Hatch Act by senior White House and agency officials, reports
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that White House and other Administration officials are ob-
structing GAO and refusing to cooperate with agency Inspec-
tors General, noncompliance with the Presidential Records Act,
implementation of open government laws, and allegations of
whistleblower retaliation;
• The President’s business interests, conflicts of interest,
and emoluments, including President Trump’s failure to divest
himself of his myriad business interests, the President’s failure
to report on his annual Financial Disclosure payments and li-
abilities to silence women alleging extramarital affairs during
the 2016 presidential campaign, the President’s position as
both landlord and tenant in the General Services Administra-
tion’s lease of the Old Post Office Building to the President’s
company for the Trump International Hotel in Washington,
D.C., the GSA’s management of a decade-long procurement for
a new headquarters building for the FBI to replace the J.
Edgar Hoover Building, and the Administration’s excessive
travel spending;
• Security clearances, the White House’s and Transition
Team’s disregard for established procedures for safeguarding
classified information;
• Voting rights, voter suppression, and election security, in-
cluding laws and policies that have hindered voting, the secu-
rity of election infrastructure, and efforts by federal, state, and
local governments to ensure elections and election systems re-
silient against intrusion or interference;
• Environment and public health, including climate change
and the federal government’s response to Hurricanes Irma and
Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017;
• Immigration, including the Trump Administration policies
that have separated thousands of children from their families
at the southern border as well as Administration’s policies re-
lating to the immigration detention system, visa and asylum
applications;
• Workers’ rights and protections, including the Administra-
tion’s efforts to weaken collective bargaining rights and em-
ployee protections affecting federal workers, the impact of fed-
eral agency vacancies, and agencies’ handling of allegations of
harassment or bullying;
• Homeland and national security, including efforts by
former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and others
within the White House to rush the transfer of highly sensitive
U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabi, management issues at
TSA, and Secret Service operations;
• Criminal justice reform, including staffing, resources, and
facilities management challenges at the Justice Department’s
Bureau of Prisons;
• Census, including preparations for the Decennial Census
in 2020 and the Trump Administration’s efforts to add a citi-
zenship question to the Census;
• Postal Service, including the Postal Service’s deepening fi-
nancial challenges while guaranteeing universal service;
• Cybersecurity and privacy, including cyberattacks affecting
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federal agencies and the private sector, and federal agencies’
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compliance with Federal Information Security Management
Act of 2002 (FISMA);
• Consumer protection, including whether federal consumer
watchdog agencies are meeting their statutory responsibilities
to protect consumers;
• Student loans and for-profit colleges, including the Depart-
ment of Education’s oversight of those industries;
• Title IX and campus sexual assault, including the Depart-
ment of Education’s proposed regulations; and
• Government contracting, including contracting by agencies
identified by GAO as ‘‘high risks,’’ to ensure there is appro-
priate management of taxpayer funds and agencies are effec-
tively using acquisition strategies.
The Committee’s oversight of these and many other issues in the
116th Congress resulted in substantial cost savings for American
taxpayers and improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of
our government. The following highlights the major oversight ac-
complishments of the Committee in the 116th Congress.
A. FULL COMMITTEE
I. HEALTH CARE AND INCREASING DRUG PRICES
Drug Prices. In January 2019, the Committee launched an inves-
tigation into the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing and other busi-
ness practices. The purpose of the investigation was to determine
why drug companies are increasing prices so dramatically, how
drug companies are using the proceeds, and what steps can be
taken to reduce prescription drug prices. The investigation focused
on drugs that are among the costliest to Medicare Part D, including
cancer drugs, best-selling blockbuster drugs, and treatments for
rare diseases.
During this investigation, the Committee requested documents
and information from 13 companies and held five hearings on Jan-
uary 29, 2019, May 16, 2019, July 26, 2019, September 30, 2020,
and October 1, 2020. At the January 29, 2019, hearing, the Com-
mittee heard from experts about strategies drug companies use to
preserve market share and protect pricing power. At the May 16,
2019, hearing, the Committee examined drug manufacturer
Gilead’s pricing for the HIV prevention drug Truvada for pre-expo-
sure prophylaxis (PrEP). The hearing examined the significant tax-
payer funding that led to the development of Truvada for PrEP. At
the July 26, 2019, hearing, the Committee heard from patients
about the devastating personal, financial, and health impacts of
high drug prices on American families. Finally, at the September
30 and October 1, 2020, hearings, the Committee heard testimony
from senior executives of six pharmaceutical companies.
The Committee released five staff reports on September 30, 2020,
and October 1, 2020. The Committee’s investigation revealed the
extent to which drug companies take advantage of U.S. law and
regulations and the need for systemic reforms such as H.R. 3, the
Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would
allow Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies for lower
prices.
Opioids. On January 10, 2019, Chairman Cummings and Com-
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mittee Member Rep. Mark DeSaulnier requested that DOJ produce
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documents relating to its decision not to pursue felony charges
against Purdue executives for misleading marketing of OxyContin.
On March 21, 2019, Chairman Cummings and Rep. DeSaulnier
wrote to Purdue requesting documents relating to reports that
members of the Sackler family sought to drive up sales of
OxyContin and other addictive painkillers while simultaneously ex-
panding the market for medications to treat addiction, even after
the 2007 settlement. The Committee obtained thousands of docu-
ments in response to its request. On October 27, 2020, Chairwoman
Maloney and Rep. DeSaulnier released documents showing mem-
bers of the Sackler family pushing Purdue executives to flood the
market with OxyContin even following the 2007 settlement with
DOJ.
The Committee held a hearing on December 17, 2020, to examine
the role of Purdue and members of the Sackler family in fueling
the opioid epidemic. The Committee also held two hearings March
7 and May 9, 2019, to receive testimony from the Director of
ONDCP and examine ONDCP Policy compliance with legislation
that reauthorized the Office in the 115th Congress.
Federal Contracting at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS). The Committee conducted a joint investigation
with the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate
Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees
concerning CMS Administrator Seema Verma’s use of taxpayer
funded contractors. In September 2020, the committees issued a
joint staff report revealing abuse of nearly $6 million in taxpayer
funds through Administrator Verma’s use of approximately two
dozen private consultants to boost her personal profile. The com-
mittees also requested a formal legal opinion from GAO as to
whether CMS’ expenditures violated appropriations law.
Affordable Care Act. The Committee launched a joint inquiry
with the Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, Ways and
Means, and Judiciary Committees into the Administration’s deci-
sion to reverse its litigation position in the Texas v. California law-
suit and not seek to defend the constitutionality of the Affordable
Care Act. On July 10, 2019, the Committee held a hearing to exam-
ine the effects of the Administration’s position in Texas.
Women’s Reproductive and LGBTQ Rights. During the 116th
Congress, the Committee conducted oversight into administrative
actions that undermine access to health care for women, LGBTQ
people, and marginalized communities. For example, the Com-
mittee sent letters to OMB and Office of Information and Regu-
latory Affairs (OIRA) concerning its regulatory review of the Title
X Gag Rule promulgated by HHS, which prohibits providers from
referring patients for the full range of reproductive health care
services. The Committee also requested documents from HHS con-
cerning the Refusal of Care Rule, which, if enforced, would expand
the ability of health care providers to refuse to provide care to pa-
tients on purported religious or moral grounds.
During the 116th Congress, the Committee held multiple hear-
ings on administrative actions threatening the health of women
and LGBTQ people across the United States. On November 14,
2019, the Committee held a hearing examining how state govern-
ments are restricting access to comprehensive reproductive health
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care services—including abortion—for their residents, and the im-
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pact of these restrictions on patients and providers in these states.
On February 27, 2020, the Committee held a hearing on the ways
in which religious exemptions have been expanded to erode LGBTQ
rights and allow discrimination against LGBTQ individuals—in-
cluding in health care settings.
II. EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Compliance with Ethics Laws. The Committee investigated pos-
sible self-dealing and violations of ethics laws by senior Executive
Branch officials including Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao,
Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, former Secretary of the
Interior Ryan Zinke, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, former
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and Postmaster General Louis
DeJoy, among others.
In February 2019, the Committee launched an investigation of
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s compliance with the Ethics
in Government Act. The purpose of the investigation was to deter-
mine whether Administrator Wheeler had omitted former clients
from his financial disclosure form. The Ethics in Government Act
requires senior government officials to list all clients from whom
they received compensation over $5,000 in the two years preceding
their government employment. The Committee obtained documents
from Administrator Wheeler’s former client, Darling Ingredients,
that showed Administrator Wheeler had received over $5,000 in
compensation for lobbying activities he performed for Darling. Ad-
ministrator Wheeler did not list Darling Ingredients as a former
client, a clear violation of the Ethics in Government Act.
The Committee also investigated Executive Branch compliance
with the Ethics in Government Act, regulations issued by OGE, Ex-
ecutive Order 13770, and other laws, regulations, and guidance.
The Committee investigated the use and adherence to Executive
Branch ethics pledges, as well as the possible misuse of the grant-
ing of ethics waivers, in the White House and across major agen-
cies and offices throughout the Executive Branch.
Hatch Act. The Committee investigated numerous violations of
the Hatch Act by senior White House and agency officials.
On June 26, 2019, the Committee held a hearing with Special
Counsel Henry Kerner on ‘‘Violations of the Hatch Act under the
Trump Administration.’’ The hearing focused on recurrent and fla-
grant violations of the Hatch Act by Counselor to the President
Kellyanne Conway as well as violations of the Hatch Act by other
White House officials.
On September 3, 2020, the Committee requested that OSC inves-
tigate multiple potential violations of the Hatch Act by the Trump
Administration during the Republican National Convention. In its
request, the Committee identified numerous potential violations of
the Hatch Act, including the Trump Administration staging an offi-
cial pardon and naturalization ceremony to collect video for use
during the convention, using White House grounds for convention
speaking engagements, and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo en-
gaging in political activity while speaking at the convention while
on official travel abroad. OSC’s investigation remains pending.
Freedom of Information Act. The Committee investigated the pos-
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sible misuse of ‘‘awareness reviews’’ at the Department of the Inte-
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rior and EPA as part of their respective Freedom of Information
Act policies and procedures.
On March 5, 2019, Chairman Cummings, joined by Senator Pat-
rick Leahy, Senator Chuck Grassley, and Senator John Cornyn,
sent a letter to David Bernhardt, then-Acting Secretary of the De-
partment of the Interior, to express significant concern with a pro-
posed rule revising the agency’s FOIA regulations. The Department
of the Interior’s final rule incorporated many changes to address
the concerns raise by the joint letter.
On March 13, 2019, the Committee held a hearing examining the
compliance of federal agencies with FOIA, including the extent to
which agencies have implemented the FOIA Improvement Act of
2016.
Federal Records and Transparency. The Committee conducted
three transcribed interviews with officials at the Department of the
Interior, including with Chief of Staff Todd Willens, as part of in-
vestigation into the Department of the Interior’s practices related
to recordkeeping and scheduling of meetings with David Bernhardt
in his various positions as Deputy Secretary, Acting Secretary, and
Secretary. The Committee’s investigation found unexplained incon-
sistencies, and the Department of the Interior changed its proc-
esses.
On November 10, 2020, the Committee also sent letters to dozens
of federal agencies, offices, and entities reminding them of their ob-
ligations to preserve documents in accordance with the Federal
Records Act.
Presidential Records and Transparency. The Committee inves-
tigated allegations that White House officials were not complying
with the Presidential Records Act and allegations that White
House officials were using personal email accounts, text messages,
phone-based message applications, or encryption software to con-
duct official business. On July 25, 2019, the Committee held a busi-
ness meeting and voted on a resolution authorizing Chairman Eli-
jah E. Cummings to subpoena records relating to the Committee’s
investigation into the use of non-official electronic messaging ac-
counts by non-career officials at the White House
On November 10, 2020, the Committee also sent a letter to
White House Counsel Pat A. Cipollone reminding him of President
Trump’s obligations to preserve documents and materials in accord-
ance with the Presidential Records Act.
Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Committee is investigating,
along with the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, whether three Mar-
a-Lago members, Isaac Perlmutter, Dr. Bruce Moskowitz, and Marc
Sherman, constituted an advisory committee under the Federal Ad-
visory Committee Act. In February 2020, Committees launched a
joint investigation into the potential improper influence over the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by the Mar-a-Lago trio and
whether they constituted an advisory committee. The Committee
has received thousands of pages of documents from the Mar-a-Lago
trio.
III. THE PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS INTERESTS, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST,
AND EMOLUMENTS
After the election in 2016—but before Donald Trump was sworn
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into office—Republican and Democratic ethics experts strongly ad-
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vised the then-President-elect to fully divest his business interests,
liquidate his assets, and place the proceeds into an independent
blind trust. They warned that these steps were critical because le-
gitimate concerns would be raised about the President’s decision-
making if he did not sufficiently address potential conflicts of inter-
est stemming from his financial affairs before assuming office.
Instead of fully divesting from his sprawling business empire,
President Trump set up a revocable trust controlled by his son
Donald Trump, Jr., and Trump Organization Chief Financial Offi-
cer Allen Weisselberg. He never released tax returns or audited fi-
nancial statements, and he claimed publicly that ‘‘the president
can’t have a conflict of interest’’ and that ‘‘I’m not going to have
anything to do with the [Old Post Office] hotel.’’ Shortly after tak-
ing office, the trust was modified to permit President Trump to
withdraw income from it at any time without disclosure. Rather
than isolate President Trump from his companies, the trust ap-
peared to reinforce President Trump’s continued ownership and
control over his business assets while in office.
Although presidents and presidential candidates are required to
disclose financial information under ethics laws passed in the wake
of the Watergate scandal, those laws have never before been tested
by a president who brings extensive and sprawling financial hold-
ings into office.
Since the beginning of the 116th Congress, Congress has consid-
ered ethics reforms, including several provisions specifically appli-
cable to presidents. Congress introduced a series of bills that seek
to prevent presidential conflicts of interest and self-dealing, and
some of those have passed the House, but have not been taken up
by the Senate.
To legislate effectively, the Committee’s investigations have fol-
lowed three tracks relating to presidential conflicts of interest and
financial disclosures, presidential contracts with the federal gov-
ernment and potential self-dealing, and presidential adherence to
the Emoluments Clauses. The Committee is investigating:
• President Trump’s federal financial disclosures to OGE, in
order to pass legislation to ensure presidential financial disclo-
sures include sufficiently detailed information to assess poten-
tial conflicts of interest, close loopholes in the financial disclo-
sure process, and strengthen OGE;
• President Trump’s lease agreement with GSA for the
Trump Old Post Office Hotel, in order to pass legislation to en-
sure that GSA administers federal contracts with the President
in a fair and transparent manner, prevent future presidents
from engaging in and maintaining self-dealing contracts with
the U.S. government, and close loopholes in government con-
tracting; and
• President Trump’s receipt of funds from foreign govern-
ments, federal officials, or state officials through his business
holdings, resulting in the receipt of emoluments. This track is
aimed at passing legislation to prohibit taxpayer funds from
flowing to the President’s businesses, strengthen disclosure re-
quirements to ensure compliance with the Emoluments
Clauses, enable Congress to identify noncompliance and con-
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flicts of interest involving foreign governments, and consider
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other potential remedies for specific conflicts of interests as
they are identified.
Michael Cohen’s Role Facilitating Hush Money Payments for
President Trump. On January 8, 2019, the Committee launched an
investigation of presidential financial disclosures following the con-
viction and sentencing to prison of President Trump’s former attor-
ney Michael Cohen for his role in facilitating hush money pay-
ments to women alleging extramarital affairs on behalf of Presi-
dent Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. On December
12, 2018, Mr. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for ar-
ranging a $150,000 payment by the National Enquirer’s parent,
American Media, Inc., to Karen McDougal, a former model and ac-
tress, as part of a so-called ‘‘catch-and-kill’’ to prevent her allega-
tions from being publicly aired, and a $130,000 payment made by
Mr. Cohen to Stephanie Clifford, a/k/a the adult film actress
Stormy Daniels, in exchange for her entering into a non-disclosure
agreement regarding her alleged extramarital affair with President
Trump.
Mr. Cohen admitted in open court that he made both hush
money payments ‘‘in coordination with, and at the direction of’’
President Trump ‘‘for the principal purpose of influencing the elec-
tion.’’ Court documents also showed that Mr. Cohen was reim-
bursed $420,000 by the Trump Organization for these payments.
President Trump’s first financial disclosure, filed after taking of-
fice on June 14, 2017, did not disclose any debt owed to Mr. Cohen
as a result of his payment to Ms. Clifford. However, on May 15,
2018, President Trump disclosed payments to Mr. Cohen of
‘‘$100,001–$250,000’’ for calendar year 2017.
On January 8, 2019, the Committee requested documents from
the White House and the Trump Organization related to the hush
money payments made by Mr. Cohen. While the White House even-
tually permitted Committee staff to review 30 pages of documents
in camera, half of these documents were either publicly available
or entirely redacted and of little informational value to the Com-
mittee. The Trump Organization declined to produce any docu-
ments.
On January 22, 2019, the Committee requested communications
between the White House or the President’s personal representa-
tives and OGE regarding the President’s belated and incomplete
acknowledgment of a liability to Mr. Cohen. Subsequently, the
Committee obtained internal notes of discussions before President
Trump’s May 2018 disclosure was filed that appear to show Sheri
Dillon, President Trump’s personal attorney, and Deputy White
House Counsel Stefan Passantino repeatedly stating to OGE offi-
cials that the President never owed any money to Mr. Cohen in
2016 and 2017. The notes also appear to show that Ms. Dillon told
OGE officials that the payments to Mr. Cohen were in connection
with legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement, which she re-
fused to provide upon request. Prosecutors later revealed that there
was in fact no retainer agreement and that the payments were ‘‘re-
imbursement for election-related expenses,’’ rather than legal ex-
penses.
On February 27, 2019, the Committee requested transcribed
interviews with Ms. Dillon and Mr. Passantino in order to obtain
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information related to the hush money payments and their rep-
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resentations of those payments to OGE. The White House and the
Trump Organization both declined to allow either individual to ap-
pear before the Committee.
On February 27, 2019, the Committee held a hearing with Mr.
Cohen, former attorney to President Trump. Mr. Cohen testified
before the Committee regarding the hush money payments and
other issues. At the hearing, Mr. Cohen testified that he arranged
hush money payments to Ms. Clifford and Ms. McDougal at the di-
rection of President Trump. Mr. Cohen also testified that the Presi-
dent routinely altered the estimated value of his assets and liabil-
ities on financial statements—including inflating or deflating the
value of assets depending on the purpose for which he intended to
use the statements. Mr. Cohen also testified that the President pro-
vided financial statements with inflated assets to an insurance
company. Mr. Cohen further testified that President Trump may
have deflated certain assets to reduce his real estate taxes.
To corroborate his testimony, Mr. Cohen provided the Committee
copies of numerous reimbursement checks signed after the Presi-
dent took office by President Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Allen
Weisselberg, including checks issued prior to the President’s 2017
financial disclosure omitting the liability. Mr. Cohen also produced
to the Committee President Trump’s ‘‘Statements of Financial Con-
dition’’ from 2011 and 2012, as well as a one-page ‘‘Summary of
Net Worth’’ from 2013. At least two of the documents were pre-
pared by the Mazars USA LLP accounting firm, which was re-
ported to have a longstanding relationship with the Trump Organi-
zation.
On July 19, 2019, following reports that DOJ had concluded its
investigation of Michael Cohen and related campaign finance viola-
tions, and in light of additional evidence showing Mr. Cohen’s com-
munications with President Trump shortly before Mr. Cohen facili-
tated hush money payments, the Committee wrote to Audrey
Strauss, the Deputy United States Attorney for the Southern Dis-
trict of New York requesting information about the status of any
criminal investigation of President Trump’s role, including whether
the Department had declined to prosecute the President given De-
partment policy despite evidence of guilt. Neither the Southern
District of New York nor DOJ —to which it referred the request—
has provided any information the Committee in response to its re-
quests.
Committee’s Subpoena to President’s Accounting Firm, Mazars
USA LLP. As the Committee’s investigations progressed during the
116th Congress, President Trump’s longtime accounting firm,
Mazars USA LLP, emerged as a custodian of documents relevant
to several investigations. Based on testimony and financial state-
ments obtained during the Committee’s investigations, the Com-
mittee has determined that Mazars is in possession of documents
and information necessary to help the Committee define areas that
require remedial measures and undertake the necessary legislative
reforms.
On March 20, 2019, the Committee sent a letter to Mazars re-
questing financial statements that Mazars prepared for President
Trump and his businesses for the ten-year period spanning from
January 1, 2009, to March 20, 2019. The Committee also requested
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documents and communications on how these financial statements
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and other financial disclosures were prepared for the same time pe-
riod.
On March 27, 2019, outside counsel to Mazars responded that,
pursuant to the company’s legal obligations, Mazars could not vol-
untarily turn over the documents ‘‘unless disclosure is made pursu-
ant to, among other things, a Congressional subpoena.’’
On April 12, 2019, Chairman Cummings circulated a memo-
randum to Committee Members stating his intent to issue a sub-
poena to Mazars and soliciting Members’ views.
On April 15, 2019, the Committee issued a subpoena to Mazars
seeking the same categories of documents as the March 20, 2019,
request letter, but narrowing the timeframe from ten years to eight
years.
The subpoena consists of four requests, all of which are related
to the financial statements prepared by Mazars for the President
and his businesses, and each is designed to help the Committee
evaluate these financial statements. Request One calls for all fi-
nancial statements created by Mazars for the President and certain
of his businesses from 2011 to 2018. Request Two calls for any en-
gagement letters governing the financial statements created from
2011 to 2018. Request Three calls for the documents Mazars relied
on to create the financial statements. Request Four calls for any
communications, memoranda, or notes in Mazars’ possession re-
garding the financial statements, particularly those of Donald
Bender, a partner at Mazars reported to be in charge of President
Trump’s accounts, and any communication raising concerns or red
flags.
On April 22, 2019, President Trump and his businesses filed a
lawsuit in the D.C. District Court seeking to prevent Mazars from
complying with the Committee’s lawful subpoena.
On May 20, 2019, the District Court issued a ruling upholding
the authority of the Oversight Committee to investigate issues con-
cerning the President and his companies.
On October 11, 2019, the Circuit Court of District of Columbia
upheld the District Court’s decision, again ruling in favor of the
Committee’s subpoena.
After the full D.C. Circuit rejected their petition for en banc re-
view, President Trump and his businesses petitioned for Supreme
Court review. The Supreme Court granted the petition and consoli-
dated the case with Trump v. Deutsche Bank et al., another case
that involves congressional subpoenas for the President’s financial
records.
On July 9, 2020, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Trump
v. Mazars holding that the President is not above the law and an-
nouncing a new four-factor standard for evaluating congressional
subpoenas for the President’s personal information. The Court va-
cated the lower court’s decision and remanded the case to the D.C.
Circuit.
On August 28, 2020, Chairwoman Maloney issued an extensive
memorandum to Committee Members explaining how the Commit-
tee’s subpoena met the Supreme Court’s new test.
On October 20, 2020, the D.C. Circuit heard re-arguments by the
Committee and by President Trump on whether the case should be
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remanded to the District Court and whether the D.C. Circuit
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should affirm the District Court’s decision upholding the subpoena
to Mazars.
To date, the D.C. Circuit has not issued an opinion.
President Trump’s Lease with GSA for D.C. Hotel. The Com-
mittee investigated the General Services Administration’s award
and management of its federal lease for the Old Post Office Build-
ing to President Trump and his company, Trump Old Post Office
LLC. The investigation followed extensive work undertaken by
then-Ranking Member Cummings to obtain information in the
115th Congress after concerns were raised that President Trump
would continue to receive financial benefits while serving in office
despite an explicit prohibition on elected officials benefiting from a
GSA lease for federal property. The highly unusual and improper
arrangement meant that President Trump is effectively on both
sides of the contract as the landlord and tenant and raised con-
cerns about presidential conflicts of interest and undue influence
over GSA.
On April 12, 2019, Chairman Cummings and Government Oper-
ations Subcommittee Chairman Gerald E. Connolly sent a letter to
GSA requesting 14 categories of documents relating to the Commit-
tee’s investigation of the lease and reiterated several requests for
documents that had been rebuffed by General in the 115th Con-
gress.
In response to the April 12, 2019, letter, GSA provided docu-
ments that were of little investigative value involving topics such
as fire alarm testing and art installations. As a result, on June 27,
2019, the Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing
with a senior GSA official responsible for document production ef-
forts about the lack of compliance with the Committee’s requests.
GSA still did not produce any additional documents related to the
Old Post Office Hotel.
On August 22, 2019, GSA sent a letter to the Committee explain-
ing its decision to withhold several key categories of documents re-
quested by the Committee, including financial documents and sub-
missions made by President Trump and his companies. GSA ex-
plained that it deferred to the Trump Organization, which through
counsel Stefan Passantino, objected to the production.
On April 29, 2020, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney sent a letter to GSA
demanding full compliance with outstanding document requests
contained in the Committee’s April 12, 2019, letter. GSA still has
not produced any additional responsive material.
Other Conflicts and Emoluments. During the 116th Congress, the
Committee investigated a range of conflicts and emoluments in-
volving President Trump and his businesses, including spending by
federal government agencies at President Trump’s properties in po-
tential violation of the Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments
Clause.
In Spring 2019, the Committee began investigating potential ex-
penditures by DOD at President Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in
Ayrshire, Scotland. On June 21, 2019, the Committee and Civil
Liberties Subcommittee Chairman Jamie Raskin sent a letter to
DOD requesting six categories of documents related to DOD spend-
ing at the Turnberry resort and the use of the nearby Glasgow
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Prestwick Airport.
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On September 10, 2019, the Committee renewed its requests in
a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after press reports
emerged showing that an Air Force crew stopped over at the
Turnberry resort in March 2019. On September 18, the Committee
sent a follow-up letter raising concern about the lack of compliance
by DOD and its refusal to provide any communications with out-
side entities, such as the White House, about Trump Turnberry.
The Committee uncovered at least $184,000 in DOD spending at
the President’s luxury golf resort in Scotland.
FBI Headquarters Relocation. The Committee, jointly with the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, investigated the
Trump Administration’s abrupt decision in June 2017 to abandon
a long-term plan developed over multiple administrations to move
the headquarters of the FBI from its current site in Washington,
D.C. to a suburban location and replace it with a more costly plan
to demolish the existing building and construct a new facility on
the same site. The investigation followed the release of a GSA In-
spector General (IG) report in August 2018 that found that the
Trump Administration’s new plan could cost hundreds of millions
of dollars more than the previous plan. The report also identified
a key meeting involving President Trump and GSA Administrator
Emily Murphy at the White House on January 24, 2018, and de-
scribed Administrator Murphy’s testimony about that meeting and
other communications with the White House as ‘‘incomplete’’ and
potentially misleading.
On March 6, 2019, the full Committee, the Subcommittee on
Government Operations, and the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure sent letters to the FBI, GSA, and DOJ requesting
transcribed interviews, written responses, and documents relating
to the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters project. On
May 3, 2019, Committee staff received a briefing by the FBI Unit
Chief assigned to the Federal Bureau Investigation Headquarters
relocation project.
On May 17, 2019, the Committee and the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure sent a letter to the DOJ IG requesting
a comprehensive review of decision-making at DOJ and the FBI re-
lated to the FBI headquarters project. On July 2, 2019, the Office
of the Inspector General wrote to the Committees announcing that
it was initiating a review of the planning for a future FBI head-
quarters facility.
On June 27, 2019, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a hearing that examined, among other topics, the FBI and
GSA lack of compliance with the Committees’ requests for informa-
tion on the FBI headquarters project.
On July 24, 2019, the Oversight and Reform Committee and the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a transcribed
interview of Richard Haley, II, the former Assistant Director of Fi-
nance and Facilities at the FBI, regarding the FBI headquarters
project.
On January 9, 2020, FBI staff met with Committee staff regard-
ing the Bureau’s lack of responsiveness to the Committee’s docu-
ment requests. However, since that meeting, the FBI still has not
produced a single document.
Compliance by the FBI, DOJ, and GSA with Committee requests
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has been woefully inadequate. For instance, following the Sub-
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committee’s hearing focusing on those agencies’ lack of compliance,
Members submitted Questions for the Record, including to the FBI
Assistant Director for Congressional Affairs. The FBI then took
nearly eight months to respond to those questions, and even then,
the agency failed to provide adequate answers.
None of the agencies have produced key decision-making docu-
ments that the investigating committees had identified as prior-
ities. FBI officials have suggested that no such documents exist
given the nature of the planning and decision-making for the
project. If accurate, the Committee is deeply troubled that such a
significant decision, which could directly impact the FBI’s critical
mission and affect placement of thousands of FBI employees and
billions of dollars in government expenditures, would be made
without any paperwork explaining or memorializing such a deci-
sion.
The Committee’s requests remain unfulfilled despite extensive
outreach from staff and accommodations. As of December 2020, the
Administration has not announced a comprehensive plan for ad-
dressing the FBI’s aging infrastructure and need for a modern fa-
cility.
IV. SECURITY CLEARANCES
During the 116th Congress, the Committee reviewed the security
clearance process at the White House and the Trump Transition
Team in response to grave breaches of national security at the
highest levels of the Administration, including by former National
Security Advisor Michael Flynn and others. In addition, the Com-
mittee reviewed the Trump Administration’s failure to comply with
the Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting Trans-
parency Act of 2018 (SECRET Act), which required the White
House to submit a report to Congress by August 20, 2018 that ‘‘ex-
plains the process for conducting and adjudicating security clear-
ance investigations for personnel of the Executive Office of the
President, including personnel of the White House Office.’’
On March 23, 2019, White House Personnel Security Office em-
ployee Tricia Newbold came forward at great personal risk to ex-
pose grave failures of the White House security clearance system.
After receiving information from Ms. Newbold, the Committee con-
ducted transcribed interviews of current and former White House
officials and received briefings from DOD, the FBI, the Office of the
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and OPM.
The Committee’s investigation determined that the Trump Ad-
ministration has made the White House security clearance process
less safe. The Committee’s investigation was able to determine that
the Trump Administration’s own written documents about security
clearances do not accurately represent its practices.
V. VOTING RIGHTS, VOTER SUPPRESSION, AND ELECTION SECURITY
During the 116th Congress, the Committee investigated specific
allegations of voter suppression in Georgia, Texas, and Kansas.
On March 6, 2019, the Committee launched an investigation into
reports of serious problems impacting people’s ability to register
and vote in Georgia. The Committee requested documents from
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad
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Raffensperger related to the state’s cancellation of voter registra-
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tions, the closing of polling sites, then-Secretary of State Kemp’s
conflicts of interest while running for Governor, and Mr. Kemp’s
unfounded claim that the Democratic Party attempted to hack
state voter registration systems. Although the Committee received
thousands of pages of documents from the Secretary of State’s Of-
fice, the Governor’s Office, and Governor Kemp, approximately 99%
of these documents were court filings, news clippings, and other al-
ready publicly available documents. The Secretary of State and
Governor’s Office acknowledged withholding more than 1,400 re-
sponsive documents from the Committee—including emails involv-
ing Mr. Kemp.
On March 28, 2019, the Committee wrote to Texas Attorney Gen-
eral Ken Paxton and Texas Acting Secretary of State David Whit-
ley requesting communications relating to a January 2019 advisory
from Mr. Whitley claiming that 95,000 registered voters in Texas
may not be U.S. citizens and that 58,000 of these individuals may
have ‘‘voted in one or more Texas elections.’’ The advisory warned
that the Secretary of State had referred these individuals to the
state Attorney General for criminal prosecution. In response to the
Committee’s request, the state agencies withheld most responsive
documents, citing inapplicable state public records laws and ongo-
ing litigation, and claiming erroneously that the Committee lacks
jurisdiction to investigate voter suppression in Texas.
On March 28, 2019, the Committee launched an investigation
into the decision to move the only polling site in Dodge City, Kan-
sas outside the city limits—and more than a mile from the nearest
bus station—prior to the 2018 election. Dodge City is one of the few
cities in Kansas with a majority Latino population, and Latinos’
historical support for Democratic candidates was expected to be a
factor in the tight race for Governor in 2018. The Committee re-
quested and received communications from Kansas Secretary of
State Scott Schwab and Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox, who re-
portedly made the decision to move the polling site. Committee
staff also interviewed Ms. Cox by phone.
On February 25, 2020, the Committee issued a memorandum of
findings resulting from its investigation in conjunction with a full
Committee hearing on ‘‘Voter Suppression in Minority Commu-
nities: Learning from the Past to Protect Our Future.’’ Despite un-
acceptable stonewalling from some of the states the Committee in-
vestigated, Committee staff reviewed hundreds of thousands of doc-
uments and confirmed that state and local officials took steps to
add barriers to individuals seeking to exercise their right to vote.
The full Committee worked with the Subcommittee on Civil
Rights and Civil Liberties and the Subcommittee on National Secu-
rity in support of those Subcommittees’ oversight of voting rights
and election security issues.
VI. ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Disaster Response in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands:
The Committee investigated the federal government’s response to
Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which struck Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands in 2017. In May 2019, all Democratic Members of
the Committee sent a letter to the White House seeking documents
regarding the Trump Administration’s abominable response to
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those storms.
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Contemporaneously, independent investigations also confirmed
the Committee’s concerns about the federal government’s response.
The DHS IG issued a report finding that the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) lacked a coherent strategy for using
advanced contracts to procure goods and services critical to re-
sponse and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane
Maria. The IG also released another report finding that there were
serious problems with the actions of FEMA in distributing com-
modities in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma.
The Committee, along with the Small Business Committee
Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
investigated reports that disaster-relief supplies remained in a
warehouse in Ponce for more than two years rather than being dis-
tributed to families in need. The Committee sent letters to the
Puerto Rico Department of Justice, the Puerto Rico Emergency
Management Agency (PREMA), and FEMA. The Committee sent
the letters after Members visited Puerto Rico as part of a congres-
sional delegation to survey Puerto Rico’s painstaking progress in
recovering from the 2017 hurricanes and to investigate damage
from recent earthquakes. Despite significant delay, PREMA re-
cently started producing documents to the Committee.
Fossil Fuels. The full Committee and the Subcommittee on Envi-
ronment investigated efforts by Marathon Petroleum Corporation,
trade associations, and front groups funded by fossil fuel interests
to roll back the Obama Administration’s Clean Cars rule.
Pebble Mine Project. The Committee, along with the Sub-
committee on Environment and Rep. Jackie Speier, called on the
IGs at DOD and the U.S. Army to investigate the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers’ environmental review of the Pebble Limited Partner-
ship’s dredge-and-fill permit application under Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act for
the proposed Pebble Mine project in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
VII. IMMIGRATION
Immigrant Child Separations. In the 116th Congress, the Com-
mittee continued to investigate Trump Administration policies that
separated thousands of children from their families at the southern
border.
On February 26, 2019, following unanswered document requests
to DOJ, DHS, and HHS, the Committee issued subpoenas to the
three agencies to compel production of information on separated
immigrant children and their parents. After issuing those sub-
poenas, the Committee obtained new information about at least
2,648 children who were separated from their parents under the
Trump Administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy.
On July 12, 2019, the Committee released a staff report based
on analysis of this information, entitled ‘‘Child Separations by the
Trump Administration.’’ The Committee also held a hearing that
day with experts and agency Inspectors General. The Committee
held a second hearing on July 18, 2019, with Acting Secretary of
DHS Kevin McAleenan.
Immigration Detention. The Committee investigated the develop-
ment and impact of Administration policies and practices relating
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to the immigration detention system and related issues involving
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oversight of ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other
agencies.
On July 10, 2019, the Committee launched an investigation into
the Trump Administration’s use of for-profit contractors to detain
tens of thousands of immigrants. The Committee sent requests for
documents to ICE and two for-profit contractors that operate ICE
detention facilities, CoreCivic and GEO Group. The Committee’s in-
vestigation followed a series of troubling DHS IG reports showing
health and safety violations at DHS facilities and rising costs to
U.S. taxpayers for detention contracts, as well as reports that
adults and children had died in DHS custody. Also, in July 2019,
the full Committee and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties held hearings examining overcrowded conditions in immi-
gration detention facilities.
In August and September 2019, the Committee sent bipartisan
staff delegations across the country to conduct oversight inspec-
tions of DHS immigration detention facilities. Committee staff in-
spected 22 DHS facilities in six states, including 12 detention cen-
ters run by ICE and for-profit contractors, seven Border Patrol sta-
tions, and three ports of entry operated by CBP.
As part of the Committee’s investigation into for-profit contrac-
tors, Committee staff reviewed tens of thousands of pages of deten-
tion contracts, audit reports, detainee death reports, detention poli-
cies, policy waivers, and emails.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the Committee and the Sub-
committee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties requested informa-
tion on the pandemic’s impact on immigration detainees and held
a Member briefing with agency leadership.
On September 24, 2020, the Committee issued a staff report with
findings from these investigations, entitled ‘‘The Trump Adminis-
tration’s Mistreatment of Detained Immigrants: Deaths and Defi-
cient Medical Care by For-Profit Detention Contractors.’’ As part of
this report, the Committee released documents produced by ICE
and the detention contractors, showing a widespread failure to pro-
vide necessary medical care to detainees with serious and chronic
medical conditions as well as critical medical staff shortages. The
Committee found that immigrants in ICE custody also face serious
risks due to deficient sanitation practices and poor handling of in-
fectious diseases. Finally, the report noted that ICE has routinely
ignored legal requirements to release investigative reports on de-
tainee deaths.
Customs and Border Protection. In July 2019, the Committee
began investigating racist, sexist, and xenophobic comments relat-
ing to immigrants and Members of Congress made by employees of
CBP in secret Facebook groups. Despite unprecedented obstruction
and stonewalling by CBP, the Committee has received final disposi-
tion documents in 110 cases. In July 2020, the Committee issued
a public statement expressing concern about CBP’s ongoing ob-
struction and the extent of its redactions. The Committee also pub-
licly released a document showing that an employee’s discipline
was reduced from a termination to a seven-day suspension, raising
concerns that CBP was not upholding appropriate penalties for its
employee’s misconduct.
In October 2020, the Committee released a memo notifying Com-
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mittee Members of the Chair’s intent to issue a subpoena on this
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matter. The memorandum outlined how CBP significantly reduced
the punishment of several of its agents while at the same time
shielding them from congressional oversight. In November 2020,
the Committee issued a subpoena for CBP to produce complete and
unredacted copies of all documents related to these internal inves-
tigations.
VIII. WORKERS’ RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS
Early in the 116th Congress, the Committee worked to prevent
a potential crisis at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)—
a vacant Board without any Members. On January 7, 2017, the
MSPB, a small agency established by Congress to protect merit
principles and help ensure a nonpartisan federal workforce, began
operating with two vacancies on its three-member board, leaving it
without a quorum. The sole remaining member of the MSPB had
a term that was scheduled to expire on February 28, 2019. On Feb-
ruary 25, 2019, the House passed the MSPB Temporary Term Ex-
tension Act, a bill offered by Chairman Cummings and Chairman
Connolly to temporarily extend the lone member’s term for one
more year. The Senate failed to debate or vote on the MSPB Tem-
porary Term Extension Act.
On February 28, 2019, the Subcommittee on Government Oper-
ations held a hearing to review the issues of the MSPB and exam-
ine whether a short-term legislative fix should be acted on by Con-
gress to ensure the MSPB continues to operate. At the hearing, the
Committee heard testimony from Mark Robbins, the sole remaining
member of the MSPB.
On June 20, 2019, Chairman Connolly introduced the Interim
Stay Authority to Protect Whistleblowers Act (H.R. 2530), which
would allow the general counsel at the MSPB to act similarly to
a member of the MSBP board when there is not a quorum and stay
some adverse actions against federal employees.
The Committee also investigated the Trump Administration’s at-
tacks on Federal Unions and collective bargaining, and the failure
of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (Authority). Under the
Trump appointed MSPB Chairman Colleen Duffy Kiko, the Author-
ity exhibited unprecedented anti-union bias. On June 5, 2019, the
Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing to exam-
ine federal-labor management relations and policies of the Author-
ity. At the hearing, the Committee rebuked Chairman Kiko for
drafting rogue, unfounded legal opinions that ignored congressional
intent and DOJ precedent.
In July 2020, in the aftermath of continued whistleblower protec-
tion violations by the administration, Chairman Connolly and
Chairwoman Maloney introduced the Merit Systems Protection
Board Empowerment Act of 2020. This legislation would reauthor-
ize the MSPB for five years beginning in 2021 and provide it cer-
tain other authorities to survey federal employees and require
training in whistleblower protections.
In October 2020, President Trump introduced an executive order
(EO 13957) creating a new excepted service schedule for federal
employees meant to target civil servants hired because of their
merit and expertise. The Government Operations Subcommittee
sent a letter to the OPM and the OMB opening an investigation
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in the origins of the executive order. Chairman Connolly and
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Chairwoman Maloney introduced the Saving the Civil Service Act
(H.R. 8687) block the executive order and return employees to their
original civil service classifications—with appropriate protections
from removal. The Subcommittee also worked with GAO on this
matter and sent a series of 50+ letters to federal agencies request-
ing information on attempts to implement the EO.
IX. HOMELAND AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Management of the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA). In January 2019, the Committee launched robust oversight
of recommendations to address security vulnerabilities at TSA
made by the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), the GAO, and
TSA’s own internal testing teams.
On January 22, 2019, Chairman Cummings, along with Chair-
man Thompson of the Committee on Homeland Security, hosted a
classified Member briefing with TSA Administrator Pekoske and
William Russell of GAO. On June 25, 2019, the Committee held a
hearing entitled ‘‘Identifying, Resolving, and Preventing
Vulnerabilities in TSA’s Security Operations’’ to examine TSA’s
failure to address vulnerabilities and outstanding recommendations
issued by GAO, the DHS OIG, and TSA’s own internal inspectors
as well as the diversion of TSA personnel to the southern border.
At the hearing, the Committee heard testimony from David P.
Pekoske, TSA Administrator and Senior Official Performing the
Duties of DHS Deputy Secretary; Charles M. Johnson, Jr., from the
GAO; and Don Bumgardner from the DHS OIG.
On September 25, 2010, the Committee hosted a second classified
Member briefing to continue the examination of unresolved secu-
rity vulnerabilities. During the course of the investigation, the
Committee also received regular bipartisan staff briefings from the
DHS OIG, GAO, and TSA regarding TSA’s security operations.
The Committee’s investigation demonstrated the need for H.R.
3469, the Covert Testing and Risk Mitigation Improvement Act of
2019, which would establish standards for the covert testing proc-
esses TSA uses to evaluate its aviation security operations and re-
quire that TSA track and report progress toward mitigation of
vulnerabilities in its security operations. The bill was introduced by
Chairman Cummings and Chairman Thompson of the Committee
on Homeland Security.
The Committee also continued its oversight of the agency’s re-
sponse to whistleblower claims and personnel issues. In addition,
the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on
Homeland Security initiated a joint examination of TSA’s anti-har-
assment and Equal Employment Opportunity policies and proce-
dures.
The Committee’s work during the 116th and prior Congresses
demonstrated the need for legislation, such as H.R. 1140, The
Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2020, to increase
workplace rights and protections for TSA personnel.
Management of the Coast Guard. Over two years ago, then-Rank-
ing Member Cummings and then-Ranking Member Thompson of
the Committee on Homeland Security, in consultation with Rep.
Joe Courtney, launched an investigation to examine how the Coast
Guard and Coast Guard Academy managed and responded to alle-
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the course of the investigation, the Committee reviewed thousands
of pages of documents and information, conducted multiple inter-
views with Coast Guard personnel, received numerous staff brief-
ings, and sent a bipartisan staff delegation to the Coast Guard
Academy.
On December 11, 2019, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties and the Committee on Homeland Security Sub-
committee on Transportation and Maritime Security examined the
findings of the Committees’ investigation at a joint subcommittee
hearing entitled ‘‘Righting the Ship: The Coast Guard Must Im-
prove its Processes for Addressing Harassment, Bullying, and Re-
taliation.’’ At the hearing, the Committees heard testimony from
Coast Guard Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, Lieutenant Com-
mander Kimberly Young-McLear, and DHS Deputy Assistant In-
spector General Jackson Eaton. Also on December 11, 2019, the
Committees issued a majority staff report, entitled ‘‘Righting the
Ship: The Coast Guard Must Improve its Processes for Addressing
Harassment, Bullying, and Retaliation,’’ which set forth the find-
ings of the Committees’ joint investigation.
In October 2020, the Committees received correspondence from
Admiral Karl Schultz, Coast Guard Commandant, stating that the
Coast Guard had implemented all recommendations set forth in the
2019 ‘‘Righting the Ship’’ staff report.
The Committees’ investigation revealed the need for H.R. 3488,
the Coast Guard Academy Improvement Act, which would increase
diversity and enhance cultural competency within the Coast Guard
Academy.
Saudi Nuclear Deal. In 2017, during the 115th Congress, after
learning of allegations of efforts by former National Security Advi-
sor Michael Flynn and others within the White House to rush the
transfer of highly sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia
in potential violation of the Atomic Energy Act and without review
by Congress as required by law, then-Ranking Member Cummings
began an investigation, which the Committee continued during the
116th Congress. The Committee has sought information about the
actions of former National Security Advisor Flynn in these efforts,
and the role of IP3 International, a private company that assem-
bled a consortium of U.S. companies seeking to build nuclear
plants in Saudi Arabia under this plan.
On February 19, 2019, the Committee issued the first interim
staff report on this issue entitled, ‘‘Whistleblowers Raise Grave
Concerns with Trump Administration’s Efforts to Transfer Sen-
sitive Nuclear Technology to Saudi Arabia.’’ The staff report de-
tailed disclosures from multiple whistleblowers who came forward
to raise concerns about efforts inside the White House to rush a
plan to transfer nuclear technology, despite the Saudis’ refusal to
commit to using this technology only for peaceful purposes.
During the 116th Congress, the Committee sent numerous let-
ters requesting documents and interviews to the White House, the
Departments of Commerce, DOD, Energy, State, the Treasury, the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, CIA, IP3, and several other entities including
private companies. The Committee obtained more than 60,000
pages of documents, but was stonewalled by the White House and
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In July 2019, the Committee issued a second interim staff report
on this matter chronicling the results of the investigation as of that
time.
Secret Service Operations and Travel. During the 116th Con-
gress, the Committee continued to conduct oversight of Secret Serv-
ice operations, especially in anticipation of the highly demanding
2020 presidential campaign.
On April 4, 2019, following a security incident at President
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf resort, the Secret Service provided a clas-
sified bipartisan Member briefing on its operations and the Presi-
dent’s security. The Secret Service provided another classified bi-
partisan staff briefing on its operations and the President’s security
on July 25, 2019.
The Committee also investigated the President’s and his family’s
frequent travel and the impact on the Secret Service. On February
12, 2020, Chairwoman Maloney and Committee Member Rep. Jack-
ie Speier sent a letter to the Secret Service requesting comprehen-
sive information on government expenditures at President Trump’s
properties following reports that the Secret Service was charged
nightly rates as high as $650 per night. The Committee’s interest
in this matter and a full accounting of Secret Service spending at
Trump properties remains ongoing. To date, the Committee has re-
ceived only 86 documents that were previously released to the pub-
lic pursuant to FOIA, as well as answers to four written questions.
X. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
The Committee conducted oversight of the federal Bureau of
Prisons (BOP) and other agencies administering the criminal jus-
tice system and how well they were implementing programs to help
incarcerated persons transition back into society, reduce recidivism,
and collateral consequences to incarceration. The purpose of this
investigation was to investigate systemic racial bias and unequal
treatment throughout our nation’s criminal justice system and pro-
vide oversight into legislation to help address these issues. The
Committee examined staffing, resources, available programming,
and facilities conditions.
On September 27, 2019, Committee staff held a bipartisan brief-
ing on BOP reentry programs with the Administrative Office of
U.S. Courts, and on October 2, 2019, Committee staff held a bipar-
tisan briefing on reentry programs with BOP.
From October 8 through October 9, 2019, the Committee led staff
delegations to BOP correction facilities—FCC Florence in Colorado
and FCC Hazelton in West Virginia—to investigate the efficacy of
federal reentry programs and speak with incarcerated persons
about conditions within facilities.
XI. CENSUS
In January 2019, the Committee launched an investigation into
preparations for the 2020 Census as well as political interference
by the Trump Administration. The purpose of this investigation
was to provide robust oversight to ensure that the Census Bureau
was ready and able to conduct a full, accurate, and fair census. The
Committee examined Census planning, preparations, and readi-
ness; technology and cybersecurity; communications; and changes
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the Bureau made in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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During the investigation, the Committee requested documents
and information from the Department of Justice, the Department
of Commerce, and the Census Bureau. The Committee held six
hearings on March 14, 2019, January 9, 2020, February 12, 2020,
July 29, 2020, September 10, 2020, and December 3, 2020. On
March 14, 2019, the Committee heard testimony from Secretary of
Commerce Wilbur Ross about the Trump Administration’s attempts
to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
On July 12, 2019, the Committee voted to recommend the House
hold the Attorney General and the Secretary of Commerce in con-
tempt of Congress for their refusal to comply with duly authorized
subpoenas relating to the 2020 Census.
During the January 9, 2020, and February 12, 2020, hearings,
the Committee heard testimony about the challenges the Bureau
faced while trying to count hard-to-count populations. During the
July and September hearings, the Committee heard testimony
about how the Bureau planned to address the challenges they faced
in conducting a fair, full, and accurate census during the
coronavirus pandemic. The Committee held briefings on April 14,
2020, April 24, 2020, August 27, 2020, and August 28, 2020, to ad-
dress the Bureau’s rushed timeline to complete the census after
delays due to the pandemic and after the Trump Administration
withdrew its request for extra time to conduct the census.
During the December 3, 2020, hearing, the Committee heard tes-
timony regarding reports of anomalies, challenges, and additional
delays in the Census Bureau’s data collection and data processing.
The Committee introduced two pieces of legislation, H.R. 7034
and H.R. 7974, to extend the statutory reporting deadlines for ap-
portionment and redistricting data by 120 days. Provisions from
H.R. 7034 were identical to those included in H.R. 6800, which
passed the House on May 15, 2020. H.R. 7974 also prevented the
Secretary of Commerce from delivering apportionment data to the
President before April 1, 2021, and required the Census Bureau to
carry out the Non-Response Follow Up operations for the 2020 Cen-
sus through at least October 31, 2020. These provisions were in-
cluded in H.R. 8406, the Heroes Act, which passed the House on
October 1, 2020.
XII. POSTAL SERVICE
During the 116th Congress, the Committee investigated, and
continues to investigate, widespread and persistent mail delays and
poor performance at the Postal Service caused by operational and
organizational changes implemented by Postmaster General Louis
DeJoy shortly after he began his tenure in June 2020. The Com-
mittee began its investigation after press reports raised concerns
about significant delays in mail, including mail-in ballots and pre-
scription drugs, and the release of documents indicating that harm-
ful operational changes were being implemented at the Postal Serv-
ice that had not been briefed to Congress, other stakeholders, or
the American public. Those concerns were heightened by the
coronavirus pandemic, during which the American public has in-
creasingly turned to the mail—and packages in particular—to ob-
tain everyday and critical supplies as well as the run-up to the
2020 presidential election in which record numbers of voters were
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On October 19, 2020, the Postal Service IG issued a report find-
ing that under Postmaster General DeJoy, the Postal Service insti-
tuted three sweeping operational changes and oversaw the imple-
mentation of 57 other operational changes that led to widespread
and persistent mail delays, including three major initiatives
launched by the Postmaster General himself. The IG also found
that all of these operational changes had been implemented with-
out sufficient prior analysis.
On August 24, 2020, the Committee held a hearing with Post-
master General DeJoy and Chairman of the Postal Service Board
of Governors Robert M. Duncan. At the hearing, the Postmaster
General acknowledged that his changes negatively impacted serv-
ice, but he refused to recognize the extent of the impacts.
Following the hearing, and after several months of refusing to
provide information about the changes under Postmaster General
DeJoy, on September 2, 2020, the Committee issued a subpoena to
the Postal Service requesting 17 categories of documents and infor-
mation on the recent changes. The Committee continues to seek
full compliance from the Postal Service with the subpoena.
The Committee is also examining the lack of oversight provided
by the Board of Governors under Chairman Duncan during these
significant organizational and operational changes as well as for
the circumstances surrounding the hiring of Mr. DeJoy, who was
a prominent Republican fundraiser with significant financial inter-
ests in a USPS competitor. On August 31, 2020, the Committee
wrote a letter to Chairman Duncan requesting documents. The
Committee continues to seek full compliance by the Board of Gov-
ernors with its document request.
XIII. CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY
The Committee continued to conduct oversight of cyberattacks af-
fecting federal agencies and the private sector.
FISMA Oversight. The Committee continued its oversight of the
Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), as
amended, which requires federal agencies to implement a number
of security controls on their information systems. On October 8,
2019, Committee staff received a briefing from GAO on its work re-
lated to federal agencies’ information security practices and imple-
mentation of FISMA requirements.
CBP Cyberattack. On July 1, 2019, Chairman Cummings and
Subcommittee Chairman Lynch sent a letter to the Acting Sec-
retary of CBP after reports emerged in June that a cyberattack
compromised tens of thousands of license plate, car, and face
photos held by a CBP contractor. On July 26, 2019, CBP briefed
Committee staff on the security breach, and on September 6, 2019,
CBP submitted a letter with additional details on the breach.
USAccess. On June 20, 2019, the GSA IG released an alert
memorandum notifying Congress that weaknesses in the USAccess
system may have placed federal security systems at risk. On July
9, GSA IG briefed Committee staff on the contents of the alert
memorandum. GSA briefed Committee staff on the alert memo-
randum on July 11, 2019.
Capital One Cyberattack. In July 2019, reports emerged that
hackers had obtained access to personal information on nearly 100
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29, 2019, DOJ announced that they arrested a former software en-
gineer in connection with the attack. The Committee received brief-
ings from both Capital One and Amazon related to the attack on
August 8, 2019, after an initial request from the minority. On Au-
gust 7, 2020, Capitol One agreed to pay regulators an $80 million
fine for the 2019 breach.
Twitter Cybersecurity Incident. On July 30, 2020, the Committee
received a bipartisan staff briefing from Twitter representatives re-
garding a cybersecurity incident on July 15, 2020, in which Twit-
ter’s internal tools were improperly accessed as part of an apparent
attempt to solicit cryptocurrency that targeted over 100 high-profile
social media accounts. The briefing followed a request sent by
Ranking Member Comer. On July 31, 2020, DOJ announced that
three persons had been charged for their roles in the alleged at-
tack, including a seventeen-year old recent high school graduate in
Florida, according to press reports.
December 2020 Cyberattack by Suspected State Actor. Near the
end of the 116th Congress, the Committee began conducting over-
sight a large-scale cyberattack affecting federal agencies and the
private sector, including reportedly the Departments of the Treas-
ury, Homeland Security, State, Commerce, and Energy, as well as
the National Nuclear Security Administration and the National In-
stitutes of Health. On December 8, 2020, the cybersecurity firm
FireEye reported that a suspected state actor had launched a suc-
cessful cyberattack on the company. In the course of its internal in-
vestigation, FireEye reportedly identified the intrusion as a supply
chain attack involving third-party commercial Orion software from
SolarWinds, which also reportedly was compromised by the
attackers. SolarWinds produces widely used network monitoring
software and counts numerous federal agencies as its customers.
Orion software containing malicious code reportedly was sent to
nearly 18,000 SolarWinds customers. On December 16, 2020, the
Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastruc-
ture Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
(ODNI) acknowledged a ‘‘significant and ongoing cybersecurity
campaign’’ that has ‘‘affected networks within the federal govern-
ment.’’
On December 18, 2020, Committee on Oversight and Reform and
the Committee on Homeland Security hosted a joint classified
Member briefing with CISA, FBI, and ODNI on the cyberattack.
The Committee expects its review of this incident to continue.
XIV. ELECTRONIC LOCATION DATA
In early 2020, the Committee launched a bicameral investigation
into the collection and sale of mobile phone location data and the
acquisition and use of this data by federal government agencies for
law enforcement purposes. In the course of this investigation, the
Committee, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ron
Wyden, and Committee Member Mark DeSaulnier, requested docu-
ments and information from two companies—Venntel and
Mobilewalla—after reports raised constitutional and privacy con-
cerns about the companies’ practices given the sensitivity of the
data that they collected and provided to their customers. Com-
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mittee staff conducted a bipartisan, bicameral staff briefing with
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Mobilewalla’s Chief Executive regarding the company’s use of loca-
tion tracking data. The Committee’s work on this topic remains on-
going.
XV. STUDENT LOANS AND FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES
Student Loans. In August 2019, the Committee launched an in-
vestigation, along with the Committees on Education and Labor
and Financial Services, into reports that the Department of Edu-
cation was shielding student loan servicing companies from state
law enforcement and undermining the Consumer Financial Protec-
tion Bureau’s (CFPB) oversight of these companies. The Depart-
ment of Education continues to obstruct this investigation. The
Committee reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents from stu-
dent loan servicing companies, including Nelnet, Navient, and the
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
Borrower Defense/For-Profit Colleges. In June 2020, the Com-
mittee, along with Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters, requested that
the Department of Education Inspector General investigate allega-
tions that the Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos illegally used in-
formation from the Social Security Administration to carry out di-
rectives that would prevent students defrauded by for-profit col-
leges from receiving full loan relief for their borrower defense
claims. The IG accepted the request and is currently investigating
whether the Department’s partial relief formula used data that was
accurate, reliable, and based on quality information.
In September 2020, the Committee launched an investigation,
along with the Committee on Education and Labor, into whether
the Department of Education froze a tool designed to ease the bor-
rower defense application process for borrowers who were ripped
off by their schools, typically for-profit colleges. The Committees re-
ceived documents from Accenture Federal Services, the contractor
designing the web tool. In October 2020, the Committees released
initial findings demonstrating that the Department of Education
halted the web tool and the newly released documents directly con-
tradicted vehement and public denials from the Department of
Education claiming that there was no stoppage to the launch of the
web tool.
XVI. TITLE IX AND CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT
During the 116th Congress, the Committee conducted oversight
of the Department of Education’s enforcement of Title IX of the
Education Amendments Act of 1972, which protects people from
sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. After
the Department proposed a Title IX rule that would have encour-
aged schools to pursue fewer complaints of sexual assault and
other forms of harassment, every Democratic Member of the Com-
mittee wrote to Secretary DeVos requesting documents and infor-
mation regarding the Department’s Title IX Rule. The Department
refused to provide any of the requested materials, citing the pend-
ency of the rulemaking. On June 22, 2020, after the Department
finalized the Title IX Rule, Chairwoman Maloney and Committee
Members Jackie Speier, Ayanna Pressley, and Brenda Lawrence
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ply with the Committee’s document requests. The Department still
did not provide the requested documents.
On May 21, 2020, GAO issued a report requested by Chair-
woman Maloney, Committee Member Ro Khanna, and Rep. Susan
Davis examining college campus climate surveys on sexual assault.
The GAO report found that climate surveys can help educational
institutions gather more comprehensive information about the
prevalence of sexual assault and harassment on campus, but that
not all schools have the resources they need to conduct surveys ef-
fectively.
XVII. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
Sole-Source Contractor’s Profiteering. In April 2019, in response
to a report by the DOD IG, the Committee launched an investiga-
tion of whether TransDigm Group Incorporated and its subsidiaries
abused their position as a sole-source manufacturer of spare parts
to charge DOD exorbitant prices for essential components of mili-
tary aircraft. On May 15, 2019, the Committee held a hearing with
witnesses including Kevin Stein, TransDigm’s Chief Executive Offi-
cer, Nicholas Howley, the Chairman of TransDigm’s Board, Assist-
ant Secretary of Defense Kevin Fahey, and DOD IG Glenn Fine.
After the hearing, TransDigm agreed to refund the government $16
million for overpriced spare parts.
F–35 Spare Parts. In August 2019, in response to a report by the
DOD IG, the Committee launched an investigation of Lockheed
Martin’s failure to deliver spare parts that were ready for installa-
tion on the F–35 aircraft. In January 2020, after several briefings
by the F–35 Joint Program Office, Committee staff visited and
interviewed F–35 maintenance personnel at multiple bases. On
July 22, 2020, the Committee held a hearing with Under Secretary
of Defense Ellen Lord, F–35 Program Executive Officer Eric Fick,
Lockheed Martin Vice President Gregory Ulmer, Assistant Inspec-
tor General Theresa Hull and Diana Maurer, Director of Defense
Capabilities and Management at GAO. After the hearing, on Sep-
tember 21, 2020, the Committee provided recommendations to
DOD to improve the F–35 program.
Federal Supply Schedule. The Committee conducted oversight of
government-wide contracts awarded under the Federal Supply
Schedule. In July 2019, the GSA IG released a report that exam-
ined two Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts awarded to
McKinsey & Company, Inc. The IG found that that McKinsey could
not justify its team-based weekly pricing model that had been used
to bill the U.S. Government more than $956 million over the dura-
tion of the multi-year contracts and that improper price increases
could cost the federal government an extra $69 million. As a result,
the IG recommended cancellation of the two contracts.
Committee staff received briefings from GSA IG and GSA on
July 31, 2019, and August 6, 2019, respectively, during which offi-
cials indicated that GSA had taken preliminary steps to prevent
new orders under the contract while it renegotiated the pricing
terms with McKinsey.
In April 2020, GSA staff informed Committee staff that GSA had
been unable to successfully negotiate better pricing terms from
McKinsey and that the agency had therefore decided to cancel
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McKinsey’s contracts.
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B. SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
I. WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
In July 2018, prior to the start of the 116th Congress, the Trump
Administration began direct talks with the Taliban to facilitate the
withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. In April 2019,
the Subcommittee began to conduct oversight of the Trump Admin-
istration’s strategy in Afghanistan, including U.S.-Taliban negotia-
tions and the national security and counterterrorism ramifications
of an anticipated U.S. military withdrawal.
As part of its oversight work, the Subcommittee held three hear-
ings on April 3, 2019, January 28, 2020, and September 22, 2020,
and two briefings on April 29, 2020, and September 22, 2020.
At the April 3, 2019 hearing, the Subcommittee heard testimony
from Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
(SIGAR) John Sopko about the 2019 ‘‘high-risk list’’ of U.S. pro-
grams that are ‘‘particularly vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, mis-
management, and mission failure.’’
On January 28, 2020, after the Department of State and DOD
refused multiple invitations to testify before the Subcommittee,
SIGAR Sopko returned to testify about the potential ramifications
of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal and to emphasize the importance of
Congressional oversight as it related to the Trump Administra-
tion’s strategy in Afghanistan.
On April 3, 2020, the Subcommittee worked with the full Com-
mittee to host a virtual briefing with SIGAR Sopko to examine the
potential consequences of the February 29, 2020, U.S.-Taliban
peace deal for Afghan women and girls.
On April 29, 2020, the Subcommittee held a telephone briefing
with SIGAR Sopko to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan
and SIGAR’s first quarterly report of 2020 on the status of Afghan
reconstruction.
On September 22, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing with
Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay
Khalilzad and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
(DASD) for Indo-Pacific Affairs David Helvey to receive testimony
about the February 29, 2020, peace deal and its implementation
status, as well as long-term national security implications for the
United States in Afghanistan. The Subcommittee also held a classi-
fied briefing with Ambassador Khalilzad and DASD Helvey imme-
diately prior to the hearing.
II. VETERANS AND RELATED ISSUES
The Subcommittee on National Security held multiple hearings
and launched several investigations during the 116th Congress to
ensure the continued health and well-being of our nation’s veterans
and their families.
Preventing Suicide by Current and Former Servicemembers. On
May 8, 2019, the Subcommittee held a bipartisan hearing with
DOD and the VA to examine the alarming rate of suicide among
active-duty servicemembers and veterans.
Repatriation of Missing Servicemembers Remains. In September
2019, Subcommittee Chairman Lynch led a congressional delega-
tion to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, where the delegation met
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with Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) personnel to
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learn more about their ongoing efforts to identify and repatriate
the remains of missing American servicemembers from prior con-
flicts. On November 11, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to
examine the effectiveness of these efforts and considered whether
the DPAA has sufficient resources to fulfill its mission.
Karshi-Khanabad Air Base. In January 2020, the Subcommittee
launched an investigation to determine whether U.S.
servicemembers who deployed to Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base
in Southeastern Uzbekistan between 2001–2005 to support Oper-
ation Enduring Freedom may have been exposed to toxic hazards
that are now causing adverse health effects. On February 27, 2020,
the Subcommittee held a hearing with K2 veterans and family
members who testified about the toxic conditions at K2 and the
VA’s failure to recognize K2 veterans’ disabilities as service-con-
nected.
As a result of its investigation into K2, on July 9, 2020, the Sub-
committee released three newly-declassified assessments that DOD
conducted to environmental conditions at K2. These assessments
detail multiple hazards and toxins that U.S. servicemembers were
potentially exposed to while deployed to K2 between 2001 and
2005, including hazardous petrochemicals and volatile organic com-
pounds, such as jet fuel and kerosene, and the potential for expo-
sure to radiation, depleted uranium sources, and burn pits. In addi-
tion, in April 2020, the VA committed to begin a new study to in-
vestigate the health outcomes of K2 veterans.
On November 18, 2020, the Subcommittee held a bipartisan
hearing to examine how VA and DOD are working to address the
health concerns of K2 veterans and servicemembers.
III. U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND COUNTERTERRORISM
Foreign Policy. The Subcommittee conducted oversight of U.S.
foreign and defense policy during the 116th Congress. In August
2019, Subcommittee Chairman Lynch led a delegation to Indonesia,
Singapore, Australia, and Hawaii to examine China’s growing in-
fluence in Southeast Asia and to learn more about regional anti-
money laundering and counter-terrorist financing initiatives.
In October 2019, following the September 2019 attacks on Saudi
Aramco facilities, Chairman Lynch led a delegation to Algeria and
Saudi Arabia to learn directly from senior military and diplomatic
officials about the attacks and to conduct broader oversight of U.S.
counterterrorism initiatives in the region.
On May 14, 2020, the Subcommittee held a briefing to examine
the coronavirus outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa and discuss impli-
cations for global health and U.S. national security.
On July 23, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing with rep-
resentatives from the Departments of State, DOD, DHS, and
USAID to examine the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Secu-
rity Strategy and whether the Trump Administration has pursued
policies that further the objectives and goals identified by the strat-
egy.
On August 17, 2020, the Subcommittee held a joint briefing with
the Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pa-
cific, and Nonproliferation, to address China’s repression of Muslim
Uyghurs in Xinjiang and opportunities for the United States to
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Counterterrorism. The Subcommittee carried out significant over-
sight of the Trump Administration’s counterterrorism policies in
the 116th Congress. On October 23, 2019, following President
Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northeast Syria, the
Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the implications of Presi-
dent Trump’s decision for the Defeat ISIS campaign and the hu-
manitarian crisis resulting from Turkey’s incursion into northern
Syria.
On December 17, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to ex-
amine U.S. counterterrorism priorities and challenges in Africa.
After Secretary of Defense Esper announced that he was con-
ducting a review of the alignment of U.S. forces in the Africa Com-
mand area of responsibility, Chairman Lynch led a delegation to
Mali, Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia in January 2020 to examine
firsthand the importance of continued U.S. engagement in the re-
gion.
Violent White Supremacy. The Subcommittee joined the Sub-
committee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to address the grow-
ing threat of violent white supremacism following several high-pro-
file attacks during the Trump Administration. On September 20,
2019, the Subcommittees held a joint hearing to examine how
white supremacist violence has become an increasingly global and
transnational terrorist threat to U.S. national security and consid-
ered whether additional intelligence, law enforcement, or informa-
tion sharing mechanisms can be deployed to counter the growing
international threat of white nationalist terrorism.
Following the hearing, on November 13, 2019, the Subcommit-
tees held a joint classified briefing with the Acting Director of the
National Counterterrorism Center to discuss the transnational
threat of white supremacist extremism, the need for greater coordi-
nation within the U.S. intelligence community to most effectively
address the threat, and the heightened importance of protecting
civil liberties while engaged in this effort.
IV. HOMELAND SECURITY
The Subcommittee conducted oversight on a variety of homeland
security issues during the 116th Congress, including the security of
elections and critical infrastructure.
On May 22, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to assess the
security of U.S. election infrastructure. Specifically, the Sub-
committee examined current government efforts to address attacks
on election systems and the important role of state and local gov-
ernments, as well as private sector partners, to protect U.S. elec-
tion security systems, infrastructure, and technology platforms.
On June 26, 2019, more than six months before the first diag-
nosed case of coronavirus in the United States, the Subcommittee
held a hearing to evaluate the readiness of the U.S. government
and healthcare system, including hospitals and emergency profes-
sionals, to respond to naturally-occurring pandemics and biological
attacks that could be perpetrated by state and non-state actors,
and to consider the potential ramifications of increased anti-
microbial resistance.
On September 10, 2019, the Subcommittee held a joint hearing
with the Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Intel-
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ligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities to receive testi-
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mony from representatives of DHS, Commerce, and DOD about the
internet infrastructure security and the importance of inter-agency
coordination in addressing existing vulnerabilities.
On April 27, 2020, following the coronavirus outbreak in the
United States, the Subcommittee held a joint briefing with the
Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy to examine the
impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the global supply chain for
pharmaceuticals sold in the United States, with a particular focus
on national security and consumer implications.
On May 29, 2020, the Subcommittee held a briefing with rep-
resentatives from DHS, DOJ, and the FBI to examine cybersecurity
threats during the coronavirus pandemic.
C. SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
I. FEDERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CYBERSECURITY POLICY
Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act. The Sub-
committee held three hearings on the Federal Information Tech-
nology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). These hearings examined
the implementation of FITARA and specifically: (1) how federal
agencies have developed and improved their information technology
postures since FITARA’s December 2014 enactment; (2) whether
some metrics have outlived their usefulness and should be sunset;
and (3) new metrics that should be considered for addition to the
Scorecard.
On June 26, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled
‘‘FITARA 8.0,’’ during which the Subcommittee heard testimony
from the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), GAO, and CIOs
from the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Education, and the
Treasury.
On December 11, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled
‘‘FITARA 9.0,’’ during which the Subcommittee heard from GAO,
the Acting CIO from DHS, and the CIO of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration (NASA).
On August 3, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled
‘‘FITARA 10.0,’’ during which it heard testimony from GAO, the
Deputy Federal CIO, and officials from OPM and Department of
Education.
During the 116th Congress, agencies’ average scores on FITARA
implementation rose from a ‘‘D’’ to above a ‘‘C’’ on the program’s
Scorecard. The most recent Scorecard was also the first Scorecard
in which all agencies received a passing grade. These grades rep-
resent taxpayer dollars saved, better mission delivery, and more ef-
fective and efficient service for the nation.
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program. On July
17, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the Federal
Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).
FedRAMP provides a standardized approach for security assess-
ments of cloud technology and aims to accelerate the adoption of
modern and secure cloud solutions across the federal government.
At this hearing, the Subcommittee heard testimony from GSA and
DOD on their administration of FedRAMP authorizations.
On July 24, 2019, Chairman Connolly introduced the FedRAMP
Authorization Act, H.R. 3941, that mandates FedRAMP metrics be
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agency stakeholders, and authorizes a sufficient resource level for
FedRAMP. The legislation passed the House under suspension and
is currently referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs. Provisions identical to those in H.R.
3941 are also in the final stages of inclusion in the National De-
fense Authorization Act for 2021.
II. ADMINISTRATION REORGANIZATION PLANS
In response to President Trump FY2020 budget request, which
sought to zero out OPM’s budget, Chairman Connolly requested
documents from OPM, including a legal analysis of the Administra-
tion’s authority to eliminate OPM, a cost/benefit analysis, and a
timeline of the action.
On May 21, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to examine
the Administration’s proposal and heard testimony from OPM Act-
ing Director Margaret Weichert. At the hearing, Acting Director
Weichert admitted that OPM and GSA were not close to being
ready to meet their October 1 deadline for GSA and OMB to absorb
most of OPM’s functions. Acting Director Weichert failed to provide
an explanation as to why the move to GSA would improve the tech-
nology or its operations.
On June 27, 2019, the Subcommittee held a follow-up hearing
with OPM, the FBI, and GSA to address the lack of cooperation
across the Trump Administration in response to multiple congres-
sional investigations. In defiance of the Subcommittee’s investiga-
tion into the Administration’s plans to abolish OPM and move its
component parts into other agencies, OPM withheld key docu-
ments, applied extensive redactions, and narrowly interpreted the
Committee’s requests. At the hearing, Democratic members of the
Subcommittee demanded that OPM address deficiencies in their
operations and explain in detail decisions affecting the timeliness
of OPM’s document production.
On December 11, 2019, in response to the Subcommittee’s inves-
tigation and significant bipartisan outrage, President Trump an-
nounced that he would abandon his proposal to abolish OPM. The
Subcommittee’s investigation revealed the fallacy of the Adminis-
tration’s proposal and ceased the transfer of civil service policy-
making from an independent agency into a highly politicized envi-
ronment outside of direct congressional and inspector general over-
sight.
III. PROTECTIONS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS
On January 28, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing to exam-
ine whistleblower protections and whether new legal provisions
would improve whistleblower protections and ensure that federal
employees, contractors, and grantees are willing to come forward to
expose wrongdoing in government today and in the future. Demo-
cratic Members on the Subcommittee extolled the value of federal
whistleblowers. They stressed that whistleblowers need to be pro-
tected to come forward confidentially and provided authority to re-
coup damages for any loss that results from the release of their pri-
vate information.
In response to continued Administration abuses against whistle-
blowers, Chairman Connolly introduced the Whistleblower Expan-
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sion Act, H.R. 4147, which would clarify that sub-contractors and
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sub-grantees are afforded whistleblower protections; the Interim
Stay Authority to Protect Whistleblowers Act, H.R. 2530, which al-
lows the general counsel at the MSPB to take certain actions to
protect whistleblowers as if they were a board member; and the
Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendments Act, H.R. 597, which
would provide whistleblower protections to thousands of Postal
Service employees in non-bargaining positions that currently lack
rights to appeal adverse actions to the MSPB.
IV. WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY
On October 22, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing on its
continued oversight of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (WMATA). This hearing was the first public forum in
which Congress would examine the efficacy of the newly created
Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) and its ability
to take on the oversight role formerly performed by the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA). At the hearing, the Subcommittee
heard testimony from the CEO of WMATA, the CEO of the Wash-
ington Metrorail Safety Commission, the Chair of WMATA’s Board
of Directors, and the WMATA IG. The hearing highlighted the need
to continue trends of improvement and take additional steps to in-
crease ridership, improve safety, and make for a better customer
experience. The Subcommittee examined the oversight mechanisms
to hold WMATA accountable and ensure progress, including the
new Washington Metrorail Safety Commission and the Inspector
General.
In early 2019, the WMATA Board Ethics Committee opened an
investigation into ethics violations by Jack Evans, the former
WMATA board chairman. Chairman Connolly and the Sub-
committee referred the issues surrounding the ethics investigation
and attempts to impede the investigative process to the WMATA
OIG for review. The WMATA OIG initiated an investigation in re-
sponse to the request.
A January 2019 GAO report requested by Chairman Connolly
found that WMATA had not established an adequate and trans-
parent capital planning process for selecting projects to fund in its
annual capital budget. GAO recommended that WMATA establish
a transparent process for developing its capital budget. GAO also
recommended WMATA conduct a comprehensive risk assessment
for the track preventive maintenance program.
Chairman Connolly previously introduced legislation to provide
WMATA ten years of capital investments and strengthen the
WMATA Office of Inspector General. During the 116th Congress,
the Subcommittee examined the need for additional legislation.
V. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
On July 23, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to propose
and evaluate ways to improve cooperation among federal, state and
local governments. The purpose of the hearing was to examine the
status of federalism in the United States and review legislation ad-
dressing this intergovernmental system. On the day of the hearing,
Chairman Connolly introduced the Restore the Partnership Act,
H.R. 3883, which would reconstitute and reform the U.S. Advisory
Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR), a bipartisan
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al governments to promote innovation and collaboration in the
intergovernmental space.
Throughout the 116th Congress, the Subcommittee worked to
promote collaboration across governments to ensure the reliable ad-
ministration of public services and the protection of the public wel-
fare.
VI. FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT
The Subcommittee worked with alongside the full Committee to
investigate the abrupt decision to abandon the long-term plan to
move the FBI headquarters to a suburban location and replace it
with a more costly plan to keep the Pennsylvania Avenue location,
demolish the existing J. Edgar Hoover Building, and construct a
new facility on the same site.
On June 27, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing to question
the Assistant Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs at the
FBI about this matter. The testimony included questions about the
rushed reversal in the FBI’s years-long plan and whether that
change involved direct conversations with the President who stood
to gain from this alternative.
This oversight was a continuation of the Subcommittee’s previous
work in the 115th Congress. In February 2018, Chairman Connolly
wrote to the GSA IG and requested that she investigate GSA’s de-
cision-making and the role of White House influence. In August
2018, the IG issued a report that noted inaccuracies in the cost es-
timates presented to Congress of up to $500 million and revealed
that President Trump personally participated in discussions re-
garding the revised plan.
The Subcommittee also worked alongside the full Committee to
investigate the federal lease for the Old Post Office Building be-
tween GSA and the Trump Organization. At the June 27, 2019,
hearing, the Subcommittee heard testimony from the GSA Chief of
Staff on President Trump’s position as both the landlord and the
tenant of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The
Democratic Members of the Subcommittee demanded GSA turn
over financial documents relevant to the Committee’s investigation
that would shed light on potential conflicts of interest and constitu-
tional violations, among other issues.
VII. SUPPORT FOR THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
Throughout this Administration’s tenure, the federal workforce
has been attacked for using expertise and performing their duties.
They were also used as political pawns during the pandemic—often
forced to the frontlines of their offices without clear procedures and
protections. In response, the Government Operations Sub-
committee, held hearings on promoting the protection of federal
employees on the frontlines and recruiting the next generation of
federal employees, on June 25 and September 25, 2020, respec-
tively.
The Subcommittee’s oversight informed legislative efforts to sup-
port the federal workforce. On October 27, 2020, Chairman Con-
nolly introduced the Saving the Civil Service Act, H.R. 8687, which
would reverse President Trump’s executive order that guts the
merit-based civil service and creates a new category for federal em-
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ployees; on October 20, 2020, Chairman Connolly introduced the
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Protecting Employees from Surprise Taxes Act of 2020, H.R. 8629,
to rescind President Trump’s executive order requiring federal em-
ployees to accept a tax deferral that would come due early next
year; on July 1, 2020, Chairman Connolly introduced the Telework
for U.S. Innovation Act, H.R. 7448, which would extend telework
for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; and on June 25, 2020
Chairman Connolly introduced the Chai Suthammanont Remem-
brance Act, H.R. 7340, which would require agencies to post their
pandemic-related office reopening plans and communicate them
clearly to employees, and the Federal Workforce Health and Safety
During the Pandemic Act, H.R. 7341, a standalone version of the
workforce provisions the Chairman worked to get included in
House-passed COVID legislation. The Chair also championed a bill
seeking to improve telework, H.R. 6106, the Telework Metrics and
Cost Savings Act; bills seeking pay raises for federal employees,
H.R. 5690 and H.R. 1073; and other bills seeking to expand the pay
and rights of federal employees.
D. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND CONSUMER POLICY
I. CARCINOGENS IN CONSUMER TALC PRODUCTS
In March 2019, the Subcommittee launched an investigation into
carcinogens in consumer products, with a particular focus on John-
son & Johnson’s Baby Powder, which contained significant carcino-
genic asbestos. The investigation culminated in Johnson & Johnson
discontinuing sales of its talc-based baby powder on May 19, 2020.
The Subcommittee’s 14-month investigation revealed that Johnson
& Johnson knew for decades that its Baby Powder contained asbes-
tos and that the company fought to continue using a testing meth-
od that never would have allowed it to be detected.
The Subcommittee’s investigation included two hearings. The
first hearing, on March 12, 2019, examined the health risks of as-
bestos in talc-containing consumer products, focusing on Johnson &
Johnson Baby Powder. The second, on December 10, 2019, ad-
dressed the methods of detecting asbestos in talc. The hearing re-
mained focused on the significant presence of asbestos in Johnson
& Johnson’s Baby Powder and the company’s insufficient testing
methods. The Subcommittee put forth recommended testing im-
provements for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to adopt.
Within one month of the Subcommittee’s December 2019 hearing,
FDA announced that it would hold an open meeting on that topic,
after having left it unaddressed for years. Through its Interagency
Working Group, FDA included preliminary recommendations that
mirrored all but one of the Subcommittee’s recommendations raised
at the December hearing.
On March 3, 2020, Chairman Krishnamoorthi sent a letter to
FDA encouraging it to adopt the most stringent testing methods to
detect carcinogenic asbestos in consumer talc-based products. FDA
is still weighing that decision.
II. YOUTH E-CIGARETTE EPIDEMIC AND JUUL
The Subcommittee led congressional oversight of the youth e-cig-
arette epidemic and the role of JUUL, an e-cigarette manufacturer,
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in creating it. The Subcommittee’s 18-month investigation dras-
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tically altered the e-cigarette landscape and forced significant
changes to the industry’s troubling practices.
The Subcommittee launched its investigation on June 7, 2019,
issuing extensive document requests to JUUL. The Subcommittee
held the first congressional hearings on vaping on July 24 and 25,
2019. The Subcommittee’s July 24, 2019, hearing obtained testi-
mony about JUUL’s marketing strategies to youth and vulnerable
populations, exposing information about JUUL’s targeting of chil-
dren in schools and children as young as eight years old in summer
camps. The Subcommittee’s July 25, 2019, hearing obtained key
testimony from top JUUL executive and co-founder James
Monsees.
On September 9, 2019, the Subcommittee sent a letter presenting
FDA with clear evidence of illegal safety claims made by JUUL.
Immediately following Chairman Krishnamoorthi’s letter to FDA,
which explained that JUUL’s marketing practices violated federal
law, FDA issued a Warning Letter to JUUL. The FDA’s letter to
JUUL specifically cited its review of testimony presented at the
Subcommittee’s July 24 and 25, 2019, hearings.
The President, FDA, and HHS all referred to the Subcommittee’s
investigative results when they promised to ban all e-cigarette fla-
vors to curb youth use. Within three weeks of Chairman
Krishnamoorthi’s letter, JUUL announced that it would stop all
U.S. advertising and was removing its Chief Executive Officer,
Kevin Burns.
On September 24, 2019, the Subcommittee held the first congres-
sional hearing examining the sudden outbreak of vaping-related
lung injuries and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) advice to Americans not to use e-cigarettes.
On September 25, 2019, the Subcommittee sent letters to four of
the leading e-cigarette manufacturers, calling on them to stop ad-
vertising on television, radio, and through social media influencers.
In September and October 2019, in response to letters from Chair-
man Krishnamoorthi, e-cigarette manufacturers NJOY and Logic
confirmed they would not advertise their e-cigarettes in the United
States, and Blu discontinued its social media influencer program
that included celebrities like Post Malone.
On October 1, 2019, the Subcommittee urged the National Insti-
tutes of Health (NIH) to allocate grant funding to research the
long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.
On October 7, 2019, the Subcommittee introduced the END
ENDs Act, H.R. 4624, to cap nicotine levels and make e-cigarettes
less likely to addict new users.
On October 10, 2019, the Subcommittee sent a letter to Reynolds
American, Inc., demanding documents regarding its then-pervasive
advertising.
On October 22, 2019, the Subcommittee sent a letter calling on
FDA to deliver on the Administration’s promise to ban all e-ciga-
rette flavors.
On October 30, 2019, after FDA finalized its flavor guidance, the
Subcommittee called on the White House’s Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs to finish its review of FDA’s guidance with-
in ten days and cancel its meeting with industry lobbyists so the
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guidance could quickly go into effect.
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On November 7, 2019, the Subcommittee demanded documents
from JUUL and its contract manufacturer about allegations that it
was knowingly selling contaminated JUUL pods.
On November 18, 2019, the Subcommittee sent letters calling on
the Administration to issue its promised ban on e-cigarette flavors
and requested information from FDA and OIRA regarding their
delay in finalizing the ban.
On December 4, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing with
FDA to examine why the flavor guidance was being delayed and
why FDA should not include flavor exemptions as favors to indus-
try.
On December 12, 2019, the Subcommittee introduced legislation,
the PREVENT Act, to establish e-cigarette user fees collected from
e-cigarette manufactures to fund youth anti-vaping education. This
legislation was informed by the Subcommittee’s investigation.
On January 2, 2020, when FDA finally issued flavor guidance
with exemptions for menthol, open tank vapes, and disposable e-
cigarettes, the Subcommittee requested information on how FDA
planned to prevent youth from migrating to the menthol products
it let stay on the market and seeking FDA’s commitment to act
when it discovers rising youth use of menthol e-cigarettes.
On January 30, 2020, the Subcommittee sent letters to NJOY
and Blu, the makers of disposable e-cigarettes, about their business
plans after FDA exempted their products from its flavor guidance.
On February 5, 2020, the Subcommittee released a staff memo
disclosing new evidence of JUUL’s wrongdoing.
On April 1, 2020, the Subcommittee sent a letter demanding that
FDA clear the market of all e-cigarettes during the coronavirus
pandemic due to evidence that e-cigarettes present serious risks to
coronavirus patients.
On June 4, 2020, the Subcommittee sent a letter pressing FDA
to exercise its full legal authority to immediately clear the market
of all flavored e-cigarette products sold by a company known as
Puff Bar. On July 20, 2020, in response to the Subcommittee’s let-
ter, FDA issued Puff Bar a warning letter instructing it to dis-
continue sales of its product.
On September 3, 2020, the Subcommittee sent a letter urging
CDC to update its guidance to colleges and universities and encour-
age campuses to go tobacco-free—which would include e-ciga-
rettes—for the fall semester due to evidence that e-cigarettes
present serious risks to coronavirus patients.
On November 13, 2020, the Subcommittee wrote a letter to
JUUL encouraging it to follow its own precedent, discontinue sales
of its menthol product, pull its application to FDA for its menthol
product, and produce its Premarket Tobacco Products Application.
The Subcommittee’s oversight and investigation have forced
major changes to the industry’s troubling practices. The investiga-
tion has fundamentally altered the e-cigarette landscape for the
better.
III. CORONAVIRUS-RELATED WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE
Philips Respironics Contract with HHS. On April 15, 2020, the
Subcommittee launched an investigation into a bloated $686 mil-
lion ventilator procurement contract negotiated by top Trump Ad-
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Subcommittee issued a 54-page staff report, which led to HHS’s
September 1, 2020, cancellation of the contract, saving the tax-
payers more than $400 million.
Trump Administration’s PR Contracts. The Subcommittee, along
with the full Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the
Coronavirus, investigated HHS coronavirus advertising contracts
that the Trump Administration sought to use to boost Donald
Trump’s reelection. The investigation led to the cancellation of a
$15 million contract with Atlas Research on November 13, 2020.
On September 10, 2020, the Chairs wrote to HHS seeking docu-
ments about a massive $250 million public advertising contract
with the Fors Marsh Group. On October 1, 2020, the Chairs sought
additional documents from contractors on a $15 million ‘‘immediate
surge’’ communications contract awarded to Atlas Research LLC.
On October 28, 2020, the Subcommittee sent a letter to HHS Sec-
retary Alex M. Azar II releasing new documents obtained from the
contractors showing that Trump Administration official Michael
Caputo, through HHS’s communications contracts, was planning to
use celebrities to advance inappropriate partisan political mes-
saging intended to help the President’s re-election campaign.
In response, HHS sent a letter to the Chairs on November 13,
2020, stating that because of the investigation, HHS was termi-
nating the $15 million contract with Atlas Research and was tak-
ing a new ‘‘science-based approach’’ with contractor Fors Marsh
Group going forward.
Coronavirus Antibody Testing Policy. The Subcommittee initiated
its investigation of the FDA’s policy on overseeing serological
coronavirus antibody tests on April 9, 2020, with a letter to FDA
Commissioner Stephen Hahn raising issues with FDA’s policy.
On April 24, 2020, the Subcommittee issued a staff report find-
ing, among other things, that White House plans to reopen econ-
omy were flawed by their dependence on coronavirus antibody
tests, which faced unanswered scientific questions of utility and ac-
curacy; FDA did not review any coronavirus antibody test kits be-
fore they went on the market; FDA and CDC had not put forth
standards and guidelines for serological antibody tests, departing
from practices governing molecular tests; and numerous companies
appeared to be marketing fraudulent tests.
On the same day, April 24, 2020, FDA Commissioner Hahn ad-
dressed the Subcommittee’s staff report during the White House
Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
On April 29, 2020, the Subcommittee sent another letter to FDA
pressing for compliance in the Subcommittee’s investigation into
the agency’s policies.
On May 4, 2020, FDA revised its policy on serological antibody
testing to address wide gaps in the Trump Administration’s han-
dling of serology tests identified in the Subcommittee’s investiga-
tion. In response to the investigation, FDA admitted its mistakes
and made critically needed changes to its policy to require FDA re-
view of all antibody tests on the market, and to set standards by
which to measure the accuracy of those tests.
On June 9, 2020, the Subcommittee convened a virtual briefing
to examine the role that serological antibody tests play in the re-
sponse to the coronavirus pandemic, recommendations and limita-
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Vaccine Oversight. Beginning in June 2020, the Subcommittee
conducted oversight of the development, review, and deployment of
coronavirus vaccines.
On July 14, 2020, the Subcommittee held a virtual briefing to ex-
amine the process used by FDA to review and license or authorize
any vaccine candidates for the novel coronavirus. The Sub-
committee proposed guardrails in vaccine development and review,
including: (1) requiring large phase 3 clinical trials with at least
30,000 participants, and (2) requiring the use of advisory commit-
tees made up of independent scientists who make public rec-
ommendations to federal agencies. FDA adopted both of the Sub-
committee’s guardrails and agreed to implement them.
Sale of Scam Coronavirus-Related Consumer Products and
Drugs. Beginning in March 2020, at the start of the coronavirus
pandemic, the Subcommittee began investigating companies who
sought to profiteer off of the crisis by selling scam miracle cures
and unapproved products. The Subcommittee sent letters to dozens
of such companies. One such company was Wellness Matrix Group.
The Subcommittee’s investigation uncovered that the company was
selling unapproved, in-home coronavirus blood tests and other sus-
pect coronavirus-related products. The Subcommittee discovered
that the company was also providing inaccurate information in
SEC filings. As a result, the SEC suspended trading of Wellness
Matrix Group’s stock.
Since the Subcommittee launched the investigation into unap-
proved, in-home coronavirus test kits on March 24, 2020, multiple
companies committed to no longer selling at-home test kits, re-
funded all money collected from consumers, and destroyed all con-
sumer samples collected.
IV. FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES AND STUDENT DEBT
The Subcommittee investigated for-profit colleges and student
debt, including a hearing on May 22, 2019, examining for-profit col-
lege closures, accreditation, and funding and their impact on stu-
dent debt.
V. PRIVACY AND CYBERSECURITY
The Subcommittee investigated data security at consumer report-
ing agencies, including a hearing on March 26, 2019, examining op-
tions available to the Federal Trade Commission and CFPB to pro-
mote the improvement of cybersecurity at consumer credit report-
ing agencies and GAO recommendations for improving those op-
tions.
VI. PAYDAY LENDING
The Subcommittee investigated the CFPB’s proposed repeal of its
payday lending rule. On May 16, 2019, the Subcommittee held a
hearing which examined: (1) the integrity of CFBP rulemaking re-
lating to the payday lending industry; (2) the payday lending in-
dustry’s attempts to improperly influence the CFPB; and (3) the in-
tegrity of the CFPB’s rulemaking process.
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VII. TREASURY DEPARTMENT’S OPPORTUNITY ZONES PROGRAM
On June 24, 2020, the Subcommittee initiated an investigation
into the Treasury Department’s Opportunity Zone program estab-
lished by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Opportunity Zones ‘‘are de-
signed to spur economic development and job creation in distressed
communities.’’ The statute targeted distressed communities by
making census tracts eligible as Opportunity Zones if they have
high rates of poverty or sufficiently low average incomes. Designa-
tion as an Opportunity Zone provides an incentive for community
development projects by reducing or eliminating capital gains taxes
for investments in Opportunity Zones.
On June 24, 2020, the Subcommittee sent a letter to the Treas-
ury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin requesting documents and infor-
mation after learning that the Department designated tracts in De-
troit, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma City as ‘‘low-income commu-
nities’’ even though they did not appear to meet the statutory in-
come qualifications for low-income communities. Erroneous des-
ignation of higher-income tracts as low-income communities would
undermine the purpose of the Opportunity Zone program by tax
breaks to developers that do not benefit the distressed communities
the law was designed to help.
On December 16, 2020, Subcommittee Chairman Krishnamoorthi
and Subcommittee Member Rashida Tlaib sent another letter to
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin requesting additional documents and
information regarding reported investments following the release of
a November 9, 2020, GAO report, which found that ‘‘there are in-
sufficient data available to evaluate OZ [Opportunity Zone] per-
formance.’’
E. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT
I. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY REFORM EFFORTS AND THEIR
IMPACTS
During the 116th Congress, the Subcommittee investigated regu-
latory repeal efforts by the Trump Administration that did not ap-
pear to be based in science. The purpose of the investigations and
hearings was to examine the extent to which industry, front
groups, and associations were able to influence regulatory actions
at EPA and the White House Council for Environmental Quality
(CEQ). The Subcommittee sent two document request letters, held
staff level briefings with agency officials, and held two hearings.
On October 29, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Trump Administration’s decision to roll back the clean cars rule
and heard testimony from experts and former government officials
that the decision to roll back the rule was costly to consumers and
would lead to increased air pollution. The Subcommittee also heard
testimony that the decision to roll back the rule appeared to be as
a result of industry influence over the administration.
On February 8, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the
Administration’s decision to gut the Mercury and Air Toxics Stand-
ards Rule. The Subcommittee heard testimony about the known
health benefits of the rule and how the decision to undermine the
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The document request letters, briefings, and hearings under-
scored the need for more transparency from the Administration
and the need for regulatory decisions to be based in science.
II. TRANSPARENCY IN EXECUTIVE BRANCH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Over the last two
years, the Subcommittee on Environment conducted a series of
hearings and investigations regarding PFAS chemicals with two
goals: (1) to press federal agencies to regulate the toxic chemicals
and to clean up these toxic chemicals that reside in, and around,
military bases as well as communities across the United States;
and (2) to highlight the role of major corporations in the creation
of the PFAS crisis and the need for corporate accountability. Dur-
ing this investigation, the Subcommittee sent document requests to
three companies and the EPA and DOD, received staff-level brief-
ings from the EPA, and held four hearings on March 5, 2019, July
24, 2019, September 10, 2019, and November 19, 2019.
On March 5, 2019, the Subcommittee heard from officials from
the EPA and DOD on the need for increased federal action to ad-
dress the PFAS crisis.
On July 24, 2019, the Subcommittee heard testimony from people
across the country who had been personally impacted by PFAS con-
tamination, as well as a bipartisan panel of state representatives—
both groups pressed for federal regulation of PFAS chemicals and
the people impacted also highlighted the need for corporate ac-
countability.
On September 10, 2019, the Subcommittee heard testimony from
attorneys who have sued major chemical companies for their role
in the PFAS crisis as well as pressed representatives from major
chemical companies regarding their companies’ knowledge of the
toxicity of PFAs chemicals before the public was aware and urged
them to take additional steps to clean up the hazardous chemicals.
On November 19, 2019, heard from a panel that further high-
lighted the human impacts of PFAS exposure, including the impact
on military families.
This investigation resulted in the Subcommittee obtaining a
greater understanding of the pervasiveness of PFAS contamination
in the United States, the role of major chemical corporations in cre-
ating this crisis, and a public commitment from two major compa-
nies that PFOA and PFOS should be designated as hazardous sub-
stances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Com-
pensation, and Liability Act. In addition, the hearings and inves-
tigations highlighted the need for companies to remit fees for the
manufacturing of PFAS, as proposed in H.R. 2570, the PFAS User
Fee Act of 2019.
III. STORAGE OF NUCLEAR WASTE
Nuclear Waste Field Hearing. On June 7, 2019, the Sub-
committee held a field hearing near San Onofre Nuclear Gener-
ating Station highlighting the challenges of the United States not
currently having a permanent solution to nuclear waste storage.
The hearing also addressed concerns about the placement of in-
terim storage sites and how local communities could be negatively
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The hearing highlighted the need for a solution to the United
States’ nuclear waste challenges, such as the development of in-
terim storage facilities through non-federal entities, as proposed in
H.R. 8572.
IV. NATURAL DISASTERS
Administration’s Response to the 2017 Hurricane Season. The
Subcommittee worked in collaboration with the full Committee to
continue with the Committee’s investigation to the Administra-
tion’s response and recovery efforts to the 2017 hurricane season.
On June 25, 2019, the Subcommittee heard testimony from rep-
resentatives from Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the City of
Houston, Texas, as well as a former FEMA Director, to highlight
ongoing recovery challenges in their respective areas and rec-
ommend steps that FEMA can take to improve disaster recovery
and response.
At a hearing on July 24, 2020, the Subcommittee highlighted the
incredibly slow, and at times, dire state of recovery in the U.S. Vir-
gin Islands and Puerto Rico and pressed FEMA for action.
Disaster Response and Recovery in the Wake of Climate Change.
The Subcommittee pressed FEMA on the issue of climate change,
with the goal of making the federal agency take climate change
into consideration when the agency is preparing for natural disas-
ters. At a hearing on June 25, 2019, the Subcommittee heard testi-
mony from an expert on climate change who raised concerns about
how climate change is already causing natural disasters to be more
severe and more frequent, underscoring the need for FEMA to fac-
tor climate change into disaster planning. During a hearing with
the FEMA Administrator on July 24, 2020, the Subcommittee ob-
tained an acknowledgement from the Administrator that climate
change was occurring and pressed the Administration on how the
agency factors in climate change into their disaster planning.
The Subcommittee’s hearings underscored the need for all federal
agencies to factor climate adaptation into their planning, as pro-
posed by Chairwoman Maloney and Subcommittee Chairman
Rouda in H.R. 8429, The Federal Agency Climate PREP Act.
V. CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY SOURCES
Climate change. In April 2019, the Subcommittee launched a se-
ries of hearings to examine climate change through three phases:
(1) the history of inaction on climate change; (2) the current impact
of climate change; and (3) the benefits and costs of action on cli-
mate change versus inaction. The purpose of the series of hearings
was to highlight the urgency for climate action.
On April 9, 2019, the Subcommittee held a hearing with experts
and a former U.S. Senator regarding the history of inaction on cli-
mate change, including the role of the fossil fuel industry in defeat-
ing congressional climate action. In hearings and briefings that
were conducted on April 30, 2019, June 25, 2019, and December 19,
2019, the Subcommittee heard from experts, health practitioners,
and former federal government officials regarding the current im-
pacts of climate change on public health, the economy, and natural
disasters. On September 24, 2020, the Subcommittee held a hear-
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local government officials. That hearing was focused on solutions to
the climate crisis, such as economic incentives to advance a transi-
tion to a green economy. That hearing also explored some of the
dire consequences of inaction on Americans’ health and the econ-
omy.
The series of hearings culminated in the introduction of the first
part of the ‘‘COR Climate Agenda.’’ In addition, the Subcommittee
concluded the climate change series by working with the full Com-
mittee to issue state reports regarding the health benefits (i.e.,
avoided deaths and avoided hospital visits) of meeting the goals set
forth in the Paris Agreement for each state.
VI. PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF GOVERNMENT ACTIONS AND
POLICIES
Coronavirus. The Subcommittee has investigated the actions by
the Trump Administration during the coronavirus pandemic that
put the health of Americans further at risk. On April 22, 2020, the
Subcommittee sent a document request to EPA on the agency’s de-
cision to suspend enforcement of many environmental laws and
regulations during the pandemic. On May 28, 2020, the Sub-
committee released a video report, which included conversations
with a public health expert, a state government official, and a com-
munity advocate voicing concerns that the actions of EPA could
have put the health of communities of color at increased risk.
On July 8, 2020, the Subcommittee held a briefing with advo-
cates, former federal officials, and persons affected by the United
States reliance on plastics. Briefers informed the Subcommittee re-
garding how fenceline communities, which are often communities of
color, bear the brunt of the impact from the plastics and petro-
chemical industries at a disproportionate rate, and these same
communities face an increased risk for negative coronavirus out-
comes.
On October 5, 2020, the Subcommittee sent a letter to the CDC
requesting a national moratorium on water shutoffs. The Sub-
committee also released a video report, which included conversa-
tions with advocates as well as Americans who have been person-
ally impacted by water shutoffs during the pandemic, further un-
derscoring the need for federal action.
The Subcommittee’s investigation, briefing, and video reports em-
phasized the need for all federal agencies to prioritize the public
health of Americans while taking actions or considering new poli-
cies during the coronavirus pandemic.
F. SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
I. VOTING RIGHTS
During the 116th Congress, the Subcommittee worked closely
with the full Committee on its oversight related to voting rights de-
scribed above. In addition, the Subcommittee has ongoing inves-
tigations into ten states’ compliance with the National Voter Reg-
istration Act’s requirement that people applying for health care
through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces be provided an op-
portunity to register to vote.
The Committee held a hearing on the best and worst voting
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in H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019. In October 2020, the
Subcommittee issued a staff report entitled ‘‘20 Ways to Secure a
Full and Fair Election During the Coronavirus Pandemic,’’ which
highlighted some of those best practices. The report described steps
that individuals, local governments, state governments, and busi-
nesses could take to minimize threats to the exercise of voting
rights during the November 2020 election. That report was accom-
panied by a video report featuring several Members of Congress.
II. FREEDOM OF RELIGION, SPEECH, PRESS, AND ASSEMBLY
On July 23, 2019, Subcommittee Chairman Jamie Raskin intro-
duced legislation, H. Res. 512, Calling for the Global Repeal of
Blasphemy, Heresy, and Apostasy Laws. The Subcommittee held a
bipartisan hearing on that resolution in January 2020 that
spotlighted the persecution of religious minorities and atheists
around the world.
On June 29, 2020, the Subcommittee also held a formal Member
briefing on First Amendment violations that occurred at anti-police
brutality protests around the country. The briefing featured people
who were present at Lafayette Square when President Trump had
the area cleared for a photo opportunity, were injured by police
while protesting or covering protests, or were unjustifiably ar-
rested. The Subcommittee also launched related investigations into
the use of federal resources to surveille and police protests across
the country. Those investigations are ongoing.
III. EQUAL PROTECTION AND RESPECT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
THROUGHOUT SOCIETY
The Subcommittee held four hearings focusing on the disturbing
rise of violent white supremacy, beginning with a hearing in May
2019 that featured former law enforcement professionals and the
mother of a woman killed by white supremacists. That hearing
highlighted the lack of a robust federal response. The second hear-
ing was held in June 2019 and featured testimony from DHS and
the FBI. At that hearing, Committee Members pressed the agencies
to develop comprehensive plans to address the rise in hate. In Sep-
tember 2019, following that hearing, DHS issued a strategic frame-
work that, for the first time, identified white supremacy as a major
threat requiring federal attention. That same month, the Sub-
committee held a hearing focusing on the global nature of that ter-
ror threat. Finally, the Subcommittee held a hearing in September
2020 highlighting the prevalence of white supremacist ideology in
law enforcement. At the September hearing, Chairman Jamie
Raskin released a long-sought, unredacted FBI report detailing ef-
forts by white supremacists to infiltrate law enforcement agencies.
During the 116th Congress, the Subcommittee launched three re-
lated investigations, which are ongoing. First, the Subcommittee is
conducting oversight of DHS’s Terrorism and Targeted Violence
Prevention plan. Second, the Subcommittee is conducting oversight
of the FBI’s failure to ensure its hate crimes data collection is ro-
bust and complete. Third, the Subcommittee is investigating eight
police departments around the country which were found to have
employed officers who posted racist, homophobic, or otherwise viru-
lent content on social media, calling into question their ability to
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The Subcommittee also conducted oversight of multiple federal
agencies, including HHS, the Department of Labor, the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Depart-
ment of Education, and pressed for the reversal of several adminis-
trative decisions harmful to the LGBTQ+ community in light of the
Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock vs. Clayton County.
IV. PROPERTY RIGHTS
On February 19, 2020, the Subcommittee launched an investiga-
tion into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC)
abuse of ‘‘tolling orders’’ that prevent private landowners from chal-
lenging eminent domain proceedings sought by natural gas pipeline
companies. The investigation revealed that FERC routinely rubber-
stamped pipeline company requests to construct new pipelines. The
investigation also revealed that FERC routinely issued ‘‘tolling or-
ders’’ to landowners who appealed. Rather than issuing a decision
within 30 days as required by statute, FERC delayed a decision for
an average of 212 days, during which time pipeline companies are
able to seek eminent domain or begin irrevocable construction ac-
tivity on private land. On April 28, 2020, the Subcommittee issued
a video report with its findings. The report was cited in a federal
court decision barring FERC from continuing with its abuse of toll-
ing orders.
V. IMMIGRATION
The Subcommittee has worked closely with the full Committee
on Immigration oversight. In addition, the Subcommittee held mul-
tiple hearings on the Trump Administration’s deadly immigration
policies, beginning with a July 19, 2019, hearing on the Trump Ad-
ministration’s decision to separate children from their families and
the provision of substandard medical care. This hearing was part
of the Committee’s ongoing oversight into family separations. The
Subcommittee heard testimony from a mother whose infant daugh-
ter died after not receiving proper medical care while in the cus-
tody of ICE, as well as from doctors and advocates who testified as
to the long-term psychological impact the separations would have
on immigrant children.
In addition, the Subcommittee held two hearings on the Adminis-
tration’s decision to stop granting deferred action, including to chil-
dren with life-threatening illnesses. The first of those hearings fea-
tured immigrants whose lives would be in danger if they were de-
ported to countries where they could not receive the necessary
medical care, as well as two career officials from ICE and Citizen-
ship and Immigration Services, neither of whom were prepared to
answer the necessary questions. The second of those hearings in-
cluded testimony from the heads of both agencies. Following in-
tense pressure from the Subcommittee and the full Committee,
DHS reversed this disastrous decision and resumed granting de-
ferred action requests.
The Subcommittee also launched an investigation into reports of
medical mistreatment at ICE facilities and a related investigation
into DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. While document
production is ongoing, documents provided as part of this inquiry
were used in the joint Committee and Subcommittee staff report,
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‘‘The Trump Administration’s Mistreatment of Detained Immi-
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grants: Deaths and Deficient Medical Care by For-Profit Detention
Contractors,’’ released on September 24, 2020.
The Subcommittee also conducted oversight of DHS’s apparent
failure to properly plan for and prevent outbreaks of coronavirus in
its detention facilities. While the Department has refused to pro-
vide the information requested by the Subcommittee, the Sub-
committee was able to conclude, and release findings noting, that
the Department repeatedly misled Committee Members and the
public about its compliance with public health guidelines on
coronavirus prevention.
The Subcommittee is also working with the full Committee and
the Committee on Homeland Security on an ongoing investigation
into allegations that women detained at the Irwin County Deten-
tion Center were subjected to unnecessary and non-consensual gyn-
ecological medical procedures.
VI. CENSUS
The Subcommittee has worked closely with the full Committee
on Census oversight. In addition, the Subcommittee held two hear-
ings in 2019 on the need for a complete and accurate Census. The
first was a field hearing held on May 28, 2019, in New York City
with 11 witnesses, including City officials, advocates, and commu-
nity leaders, to explore how Census data is used by leaders and
businesses around the country, and to identify the greatest bar-
riers—unrelated to the citizenship question—that threatened an
accurate count.
The Subcommittee followed up that field hearing with a July 24,
2019, hearing in Washington, D.C. at which GAO provided testi-
mony that highlighted key vulnerabilities in the Decennial Census
plan, and at which Members questioned the Director of the Bureau
on those vulnerabilities, anticipated deficiencies, and the difficul-
ties raised in the New York hearing.
In addition, the Subcommittee received regular briefings from
GAO and the Bureau on the operational and technological pre-
paredness and execution of the Census.
The Subcommittee also spearheaded the development of Census
district reports that quantified the potential loss of federal funding
for congressional districts around the country if the decennial Cen-
sus undercounted their communities by one percent. In conjunction
with the full Committee, the Subcommittee produced reports for 98
congressional districts, 11 states, and the City of New York.
The Subcommittee also worked with representatives from the
Bureau and several organizations representing colleges and univer-
sities to identify solutions to help promote a complete count of col-
lege campuses during the coronavirus pandemic. The results of this
effort were included in H.R. 7034, The Fair and Accurate Census
Act, of which Chairman Jamie Raskin is an original co-sponsor,
H.R. 6800, the HEROES Act, and H.R. 7974, The Fair and Accu-
rate Census Act (Updated), of which Chairman Jamie Raskin is an
original co-sponsor.
VII. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
The Subcommittee held a hearing on the Fair Chance to Com-
pete for Jobs Act of 2019, highlighting the need for the federal gov-
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stages of applications for various federal jobs. The bill would give
people who had paid for their crimes to have a better chance at get-
ting a job to support their families and prevent recidivism. The bill
passed into law in December 2019.
VI. SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES AND
ACTIONS
In addition to topics and matters referenced in the Committee’s
Oversight Plan, the Committee engaged in the following oversight
activities and actions during the 116th Congress.
A. ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS OF THE FULL
COMMITTEE AND STANDING SUBCOMMITTEES
I. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The full Committee conducted robust oversight of the federal gov-
ernment’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in the 116th Con-
gress. Along with the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer
Policy and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, the
full Committee investigated contracts between the federal govern-
ment and pharmaceutical companies for the development of
coronavirus vaccines and therapeutics, HHS’s use of taxpayer dol-
lars to fund a politically motivated advertising campaign to ‘‘Defeat
Despair’’ about the pandemic, and other issues.
On March 3, 2020, Chairwoman Maloney, National Security Sub-
committee Chairman Lynch, Economic, Consumer Protection Sub-
committee Chairman Krishnamoorthi, and Government Operations
Subcommittee Chairman Connolly sent letters to HHS, CMS, and
the CDC seeking information about the Trump Administration’s
initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
On March 11 and 12, 2020, the full Committee held a hearing
at which Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health,
Dr. Robert Redfield, the Director of Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, and other officials and experts provided testimony
on the Trump Administration’s preparedness for, and response to,
the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Committee also conducted a joint investigation with Senator
Elizabeth Warren on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on
staff and residents of congregate care facilities. Chairwoman Malo-
ney, Senator Warren, and Committee Member Rep. Katie Porter
released two joint staff reports, on July 2, 2020, and December 1,
2020, presenting the findings from surveys of assisted living facili-
ties and behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities, along
with policy recommendations for improving the safety of residents
and staff of these facilities.
The Committee also investigated widespread shortages of per-
sonal protective equipment, severe shortfalls with ventilators and
other critical medical equipment, and a dangerous lack of hospital
bed capacity. The Committee found severe shortfalls and released
documents obtained from FEMA showing that the agency provided
only a fraction of the personal protective equipment and critical
medical supplies requested by five states and the District of Colum-
bia. The Committee then released a document from the HHS de-
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protective equipment and critical medical supplies to states from
the Strategic National Stockpile.
The Committee and the Subcommittee on Environment inves-
tigated the EPA’s unprecedented decision to suspend enforcement
of environmental laws during the coronavirus pandemic. The Com-
mittee received documents from the EPA.
II. PRESIDENT’S ABUSE OF POWER AND OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESS
(IMPEACHMENT)
In September 2019, in coordination with the House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, the Committee began investigating a months-long effort by
President Trump to use the powers of his office to solicit foreign
interference on his behalf in the 2020 election. The Committees un-
covered substantial evidence that President Trump demanded that
the newly elected Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, pub-
licly announce investigations into a political rival that he appar-
ently feared the most, then-former Vice President Joe Biden, and
into a discredited theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that
interfered in the 2016 presidential election. President Trump condi-
tioned two official acts on the public announcement of the inves-
tigations: a coveted White House visit and critical U.S. military as-
sistance Ukraine needed to fight its Russian adversary.
During a July 25, 2019, phone call with President Trump, Presi-
dent Zelensky expressed gratitude for U.S. military assistance.
President Trump immediately responded by asking President
Zelensky to ‘‘do us a favor though’’ and openly pressed for Ukraine
to investigate then-former Vice President Biden and the 2016 con-
spiracy theory. In turn, President Zelensky assured President
Trump that he would pursue the investigation and reiterated his
interest in the White House meeting.
As news of the President’s hold on military assistance to Ukraine
became public on August 28, 2019, Congress, the press, and the
public increased their scrutiny of President Trump’s actions regard-
ing Ukraine. By this date, the White House had learned that the
Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG), Michael
Atkinson, had determined that a whistleblower complaint related
to the same Ukraine matters was ‘‘credible’’ and an ‘‘urgent con-
cern,’’ and, pursuant to the applicable statute, recommended to the
Acting Director of DNI, Joseph Maguire, that the complaint should
be transmitted to Congress.
In early September, bipartisan Members of both houses of Con-
gress—publicly and privately—expressed concerns to the White
House about the hold on military assistance. On September 9,
2019, after months of internal discussion due to growing concern
about the activity of President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy
Giuliani, regarding Ukraine, the Chairs of the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and
the Committee on Oversight and Reform announced a joint inves-
tigation into efforts by President Trump and Mr. Giuliani ‘‘to im-
properly pressure the Ukrainian government to assist the Presi-
dent’s bid for reelection,’’ including by withholding Congressionally-
appropriated military assistance.
Later that same day, the ICIG notified Chairman Schiff and
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statutory requirement that credible, ‘‘urgent concern’’ complaints be
provided to the intelligence committees, the Acting DNI was never-
theless withholding the whistleblower complaint from Congress.
The Acting DNI later testified that his office initially withheld the
complaint on the advice of the White House, with guidance from
DOJ.
On October 31, 2019, Congress passed H. Res. 660 formally di-
recting the Intelligence Committee, in consultation with the Com-
mittees on Oversight and Reform and Foreign Affairs, to continue
its investigation as part of the House of Representatives inquiry
into whether sufficient grounds existed for the House to impeach
President Trump and transmit a report, evidence and materials to
the Judiciary Committee for its consideration of possible articles of
impeachment.
The Committees conducted this investigation ensuring the full
participation of both parties throughout the probe. Together, the
three Committees issued dozens of subpoenas for documents and
testimony and took more than 100 hours of deposition testimony
from 17 witnesses. The Intelligence Committee held seven public
hearings, with the support of the Oversight and the Foreign Affairs
Committees, receiving testimony from 12 witnesses—including
three requested by the Republican Minority—that totaled more
than 30 hours.
On December 3, 2019, the Committee on Intelligence, in coordi-
nation with the Committees on Oversight and Reform and Foreign
Affairs, issued a report on the joint impeachment inquiry. The re-
port was written by the staffs of the Oversight and Reform, Intel-
ligence, and Foreign Affairs Committees. The report was trans-
mitted along with accompanying materials to the House Committee
on the Judiciary consistent with H. Res. 660.
On December 10, 2019, as a result of the Committees’ investiga-
tion, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler introduced H.
Res. 755, Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United
States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. That resolution included
two articles of impeachment. Article I of the resolution charged the
President with abuse of power by soliciting the interference of
Ukraine in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and Article II of the
resolution charged the President with obstruction of Congress by
directing defiance of certain subpoenas issued by the House of Rep-
resentatives. The House passed both articles on December 18,
2019, by votes of 229 to 198 and 230 to 197, respectively, with one
Member voting present for each.
The articles of impeachment were referred to the Senate, which
held a trial. Oversight and Reform Committee staff supported the
House Managers throughout the trial. On February 5, 2020, the
Senate voted to find President Trump not guilty in the first Article
of Impeachment by a vote of 48 to 52, and not guilty in the second
Article of Impeachment by a vote of 47 to 53. Republican Senator
Mitt Romney joined all Democratic Members of the Senate in vot-
ing to hold President Trump guilty of the first Article of Impeach-
ment.
III. SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY IN HEALTH POLICYMAKING
The Committee conducted oversight into administrative actions
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ernment’s stewardship of public health. For example, the Com-
mittee joined with the House Energy and Commerce Committee
and the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions Committee in sending letters to HHS requesting doc-
uments regarding administrative restrictions on research that re-
lies on fetal tissue and urging HHS to lift restrictions on this re-
search. On September 14, 2020, Chairwoman Maloney released
documents showing the role of the White House in advancing these
restrictions, despite career HHS officials’ assessment of the sci-
entific value of this research.
IV. INSPECTOR GENERAL INDEPENDENCE
Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. In response
to unusual delays in the release of DHS IG reports, including re-
ports on the Trump Administration’s immigrant child separation
policy, the Committee launched an investigation of the DHS In-
spector General in March 2020. The Committee also received re-
ports of concerns with the independence of the DHS IG from the
Department. The Committee received thousands of documents, and
Committee staff continue to engage with DHS IG staff regarding
these matters.
State Department Inspector General Firing. After President
Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on
May 15, 2020, the Committee launched a joint investigation into
this decision with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
As part of this investigation, the Committees requested docu-
ments from the State Department and State Department IG. The
Committees conducted transcribed interviews of four witnesses:
Mr. Linick, former State Department official Charles Faulkner, and
State Department officials Lisa Kenna and Toni Porter. The Com-
mittees uncovered evidence showing that Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo may have recommended Mr. Linick’s firing to attempt to
interfere with ongoing investigations into misuse of government re-
sources by Secretary Pompeo and his wife, as well as other matters
including Secretary Pompeo’s role in a 2019 emergency declaration
allowing the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates.
Department of Transportation Inspector General Firing. After
President Trump removed Acting Inspector General Mitch Behm
from his position as Acting IG of DOT on May 15, 2020, the Com-
mittee launched a joint investigation into this decision with the
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The inves-
tigation focused on whether Mr. Behm’s removal may have been for
the purpose of interfering with the DOT’s IG’s open investigations
into the Office of the Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. The
Committees requested that the new Acting DOT IG, Howard R. El-
liott, report to the committees any changes to the status, scope, or
investigative plan any audits, inspections, evaluations, reviews, or
other engagements during his tenure. This investigation remains
ongoing.
V. FEDERAL VACANCIES AND ACTING OFFICIALS
Following the Trump Administration’s purge of DHS leadership
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at the agency, the Committee requested documents regarding these
firings and installation of acting officials. In November 2019, the
Committee uncovered documents showing that Acting Secretaries
of DHS Kevin McAleenan and Chad Wolf, as well as Ken
Cuccinelli, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy
Secretary, appeared to have legally invalid appointments. GAO
confirmed this finding in a legal opinion issued in August 2020.
In light of the widespread and unprecedented use of acting offi-
cials throughout the Trump Administration, Chairwoman Maloney,
Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Connolly, and
several other House Committee Chairs joined Rep. Katie Porter in
introducing H.R. 6689, the Accountability for Acting Officials Act,
on May 1, 2020.
VI. FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY
The Committee continued its examination of government use of
facial recognition technology in order to more fully understand the
scope of the government’s current use, and the effect of such use,
on civil rights and civil liberties.
As part of its oversight, the Committee held three hearings on
facial recognition technology on May 22, 2019, June 4, 2019, and
January 15, 2020. At the June 4, 2019, hearing, the Committee re-
ceived testimony from advocates and academics on the civil lib-
erties and civil rights implications of government use of facial rec-
ognition technology. At that hearing, the Committee received testi-
mony from officials at the FBI, GAO, NIST and TSA on the scope
of government use of facial recognition. At the January 15, 2020,
hearing, the Committee received testimony from the Director of the
NIST, the Director of NYU’s AI Now Institute, and three industry
representatives on the racial disparities across facial recognition
systems.
On November 25, 2019, the Committee requested that GAO con-
duct a comprehensive survey of federal government use of facial
recognition technology. GAO anticipates that it will be able to pro-
vide preliminary results in 2021.
VII. PAID LEAVE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
The Committee worked closely with the Committee on Armed
Services to ensure that the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision guaranteeing 12 weeks of
paid parental leave for federal employees (P.L. 116–92). The provi-
sion took effect on October 1, 2020. The provision was included in
H.R. 1534, the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, introduced by
Chairwoman Maloney on March 5, 2019. That legislation would
create a broader benefit to make federal employees eligible for 12
weeks of paid leave for any reason such leave is available under
the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The Committee will
continue to work to enact comprehensive paid leave for federal em-
ployees, entitling them to paid leave in the event of illness, illness
of a family member, or military deployment. The Committee has
also been instrumental in making sure that paid leave benefits ex-
tend to the entire federal workforce, not just employees covered by
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Title 5, U.S.C.
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VIII. CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
During the 116th Congress, the full Committee and the Sub-
committees on Government Operations, Civil Rights and Civil Lib-
erties, Economic and Consumer Policy, and Environment held a co-
ordinated a series of five hearings examining childhood trauma and
assessing the detrimental impact of the Trump Administration’s ac-
tions on child poverty, housing, hunger, and health.
On July 11, 2019, the full Committee held a hearing at which
trauma survivors, public health experts, and government officials
provided testimony regarding the long-term consequences of child-
hood trauma and the insufficiency of the federal response to this
urgent public health issue.
On February 5, 2020, the Subcommittee on Government Oper-
ations held a hearing, which examined how children would be neg-
atively impacted by the Trump Administration’s proposal to change
how the Official Poverty Measure is calculated. This hearing was
held after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requested
public comments on the Census Bureau’s estimation of the Official
Poverty Measure, including on alternative measures of inflation
that could be used to calculate the poverty line in lieu of the Con-
sumer Price Index (CPI). The Government Operations Sub-
committee heard testimony from experts and advocates on how the
Trump Administration’s proposal to use an inflation measure other
than the CPI could lower income-eligibility cutoffs for families that
rely on critical federal support programs, ultimately reducing or
eliminating essential services for millions of individuals, including
hundreds of thousands of children.
On February 5, 2020, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties held the third hearing in this series. This hearing focused
on the Trump Administration’s proposal to redefine the Affirma-
tively Furthering Fair Housing provision of the Fair Housing Act,
which requires entities receiving grants from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to ‘‘affirmatively further’’
equal housing opportunity for all. The Trump Administration’s rule
change would reduce the rigor and accountability of HUD’s fair
housing oversight. The Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Sub-
committee hearing examined how children could be harmed by this
proposal.
On February 6, 2020, the Subcommittee on Economic and Con-
sumer Policy held the fourth hearing in this series and examined
a rule proposed by the Trump Administration to limit authorities
available to states to expand eligibility for SNAP. SNAP is the na-
tion’s largest food assistance program, providing nutrition benefits
to 42 million people with low incomes. More than 68 percent of
SNAP participants reside in families with children. According to an
analysis from the Department of Agriculture, 684,000 households
with children would lose SNAP eligibility if Broad Based Categor-
ical Eligibility is eliminated. The analysis also found that nearly a
million children would likely lose direct enrollment in programs
that provide no-cost school meals. The Subcommittee received testi-
mony on how the Trump Administration’s proposal would aggra-
vate food insecurity among children both at home and at school.
On February 6, 2020, the Subcommittee on Environment held
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the current Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule in pro-
tecting children’s health. The MATS rule, finalized in 2012, re-
stricts the amount of mercury and other toxic emissions that can
be released by coal- and oil-fired power plants. A significant indi-
rect health benefit of the MATS rule is that it reduces the amount
of fine particulate matter pollution in the atmosphere, including
methylmercury exposure. Despite the proven health benefits of the
MATS rule, in 2018 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced that it would be revising the Supplemental Cost Find-
ing for the MATS rule, which included a determination that the
significant health benefits and lives saved from reduced emissions
of fine particulate matter should not be counted. The Environment
Subcommittee’s hearing examined how children would be harmed
by the Trump Administration’s effort to undermine the MATS rule.
On October 9, 2020, in response to the Trump Administration’s
actions and information learned through this series of hearings,
Chairwoman Maloney introduced H.R. 8565, The Children’s Protec-
tion Act, which would require proposed federal rules to undergo a
childhood trauma impact study before being finalized to ensure
that the health, wellbeing, and futures of all children in America
are prioritized. On October 6, 2020, Committee Member Ayanna
Pressley also introduced H.R., 8544, the STRONG Support for Chil-
dren Act, which would establish two new grant programs to sup-
port local Public Health Departments in addressing trauma and en-
sure that programming is conveniently located and accessible to all
children and families regardless of immigration status, ability to
pay, and prior involvement in the criminal legal system.
B. OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES OF THE SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
I. WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE
In July 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investigation
into weekly reports that the White House Coronavirus Task Force
sent privately to states but did not release to the public. These re-
ports described the coronavirus outbreak in each state and rec-
ommended public health measures to address it. In August and Oc-
tober 2020, the Select Subcommittee released reports obtained from
the Task Force, which revealed that the coronavirus outbreak
across the country was more severe than some White House offi-
cials had publicly acknowledged. The reports also recommended
that states adopt public health measures, such as mask mandates,
that some Administration officials had not embraced in public. In
September 2020, the Select Subcommittee released an analysis
showing that public health guidance had been softened in certain
weekly Task Force reports, even as infection rates were increasing
in those states.
The Select Subcommittee held three hearings with members of
the White House Coronavirus Task Force on testing, personal pro-
tective equipment (PPE), and the need for a national plan to com-
bat the pandemic. These hearings included a July 2, 2020, hearing
with HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir,
Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, and Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition Kevin Fahey; a July 31, 2020, hearing with Na-
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tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. An-
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thony Fauci, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, and Assistant Sec-
retary Giroir; and an October 2, 2020, hearing with HHS Secretary
Alex M. Azar II.
II. LOAN TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
The full Committee, the Select Subcommittee, and the Com-
mittee on Financial Services investigated a proposed a $765 million
federal loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Cor-
poration (DFC) to Eastman Kodak Company to manufacture ge-
neric drug ingredients, as well as unusual trading activity by
Kodak directors and executives prior to the public announcement
of the loan on July 28, 2020.
On August 4, 2020, the Committees sent letters to Kodak and
DFC requesting documents and information about the proposed
loan and the associated trading activity. DFC subsequently an-
nounced that that the loan was being put on hold. On September
28, 2020, the Committees sent follow-up letters to Kodak’s outside
directors, requesting documents and information regarding their
involvement in efforts to obtain the loan and related securities ac-
tivity.
III. OPERATION WARP SPEED
On July 24, 2020, Select Subcommittee Chairman James E. Cly-
burn led a bipartisan request, along with Rep. Bill Foster and Rep.
Mark Green, to Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro calling on
GAO to conduct ongoing oversight of Operation Warp Speed and
other vaccine-development initiatives. On July 28, 2020, GAO ac-
cepted the engagement. On September 15, 2020, the Select Sub-
committee wrote to HHS and DOD calling for the Departments to
comply with this review.
On August 12, 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an in-
quiry into vaccine selection and potential conflicts of interest
among senior advisors to Operation Warp Speed. Operation Warp
Speed hired several former pharmaceutical company executives, in-
cluding Dr. Moncef Slaoui, as independent contractors through a
company called Advanced Decision Vectors (ADV). Because they
were not federal employees, these individuals were not required to
disclose their financial holdings and potential conflicts of interest.
In September 2020, Chairman Clyburn sent a follow-up letter to
ADV urging compliance with the Select Subcommittee’s requests.
Chairman Clyburn also released documents obtained in this inves-
tigation. The documents revealed that advisors to Operation Warp
Speed had potential conflicts of interest that had not previously
been publicly disclosed. For example, Dr. Slaoui reported holdings
in Lonza Group, a biotechnology company that has agreed to manu-
facture Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine. Other advi-
sors had holdings in Pfizer, which received a $1.95 billion order
from the federal government for a coronavirus vaccine; Thermo
Fisher Scientific, Inc., which received federal funding for
coronavirus testing materials; and other companies developing
coronavirus therapies. Dr. Slaoui also owns stock in
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which is receiving federal funding to de-
velop a coronavirus vaccine. Documents released by the Select Sub-
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committee reveal that rather than divest these holdings, Dr. Slaoui
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is only required to donate a portion of his earnings from GSK secu-
rities after his death.
IV. POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH
The Select Subcommittee investigated instances of potentially in-
appropriate political interference by Trump Administration ap-
pointees into the federal government’s pandemic response. On June
22, 2020, the Select Subcommittee opened an inquiry into possible
efforts to limit coronavirus testing after President Trump stated
that he had directed people to ‘‘slow the testing down.’’ Three days
later, Chairman Clyburn and Representatives from Texas, Colo-
rado, Illinois, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania wrote to Secretary
Azar to urge him to reverse the Administration’s decision to end
federal funding and support for coronavirus testing sites in these
states. Following these letters, the Administration agreed to restore
temporary support for five Texas testing sites for another month.
On September 14, 2020, the Select Subcommittee opened an in-
vestigation into reports of interference by HHS political appointees
in CDC’s scientific reports and guidance related to the coronavirus.
The Select Subcommittee sought documents and transcribed inter-
views with five CDC employees and two HHS appointees, Assistant
Secretary Marc Caputo and Dr. Paul Alexander. HHS then an-
nounced that both appointees were leaving their roles. Mr. Caputo
took a leave of absence, while Dr. Alexander left the Department
permanently.
On October 2, 2020, the Select Subcommittee released a staff
analysis identifying 47 instances of political interference in the Ad-
ministration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic from February
through September 2020. This analysis was updated in the Sub-
committee’s October 30, 2020, interim report to include a total of
61 instances of political interference.
V. HHS CORONAVIRUS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
In September 2020, the Select Subcommittee, the full Committee,
and the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy opened
an investigation into two federal contracts for an advertising cam-
paign to ‘‘defeat despair and inspire hope’’ to be launched just
weeks before Election Day. On October 2, 2020, during his testi-
mony before the Select Subcommittee, HHS Secretary Azar an-
nounced that he had placed these contracts under ‘‘strategic re-
view’’ to ‘‘determine whether the campaign serves important public
health purposes.’’
On October 28, 2020, the Committees released documents show-
ing that Administration officials had vetted celebrities for partici-
pation in the promotional campaign based on their political views
and taken other steps suggesting a partisan political motivation for
the contracts. On November 13, 2020, HHS announced that it had
cancelled one of the contracts and made changes to the second con-
tract.
VI. CHALLENGES TO REOPENING K–12 SCHOOLS
In July 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investigation
into the challenges of reopening K–12 schools during the pandemic,
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CDC. On August 6, 2020, Select Subcommittee held a hearing on
the health risks to students, school staff, and their communities
from physically reopening K–12 schools, as well as the logistical
and financial hurdles involved in doing so.
On September 30, 2020, the Select Subcommittee sent a docu-
ment request for information and documents to the Trump Admin-
istration regarding reports of political interference in the CDC
school reopening guidance. In response, CDC acknowledged that its
guidance did not reflect the current science on coronavirus risks to
children and committed to change it. CDC subsequently removed
from its website two guidance documents that contained misleading
information regarding the risk of children transmitting the virus.
VII. FARMERS TO FAMILIES FOOD BOX PROGRAM
On August 24, 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an inves-
tigation into reports of mismanagement in the Farmers to Families
Food Box Program, a USDA program intended to provide food as-
sistance to Americans in need during the coronavirus crisis. The in-
vestigation sought to assess whether the new program achieved its
goal of delivering food to communities experiencing food insecurity.
The investigation also sought to identify reported management and
accountability gaps. As part of the investigation, the Select Sub-
committee requested documents from USDA and companies that
received multi-million-dollar contracts to deliver food to food banks
and other non-profits serving families in need. In November 2020,
the Select Subcommittee released information raising additional
questions about whether one USDA contractor submitted accurate
information to USDA and ensured that all food boxes covered by
its contract reached people in need.
VIII. ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS
On July 8, 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investiga-
tion into the implementation by Treasury and the IRS of Economic
Impact Payments (EIPs) authorized by Congress in the CARES
Act. The Subcommittee examined issues in EIP distribution, in-
cluding the failure to provide EIPs to many Americans, mailings
that confused some recipients, and interference with the Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The Subcommittee’s investigation revealed that approximately
nine million low-income individuals did not receive an EIP as of
September 2020. Following the Select Subcommittee’s requests,
Treasury and IRS conducted outreach to notify these Americans
how to apply online and extended the deadline to do so. The Treas-
ury and IRS also took steps to try to resolve the interference with
EITC claims and committed to additional steps to address distribu-
tion problems.
IX. PROTECTING HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS DURING THE PANDEMIC
In July 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investigation
of the steps taken by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA),
Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac to prevent Americans from losing
their homes during the pandemic. The Select Subcommittee urged
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to take immediate steps to help
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avoid foreclosure and eviction. To prevent evictions of tenants who
were, at the time of the Select Subcommittee’s investigation, past
due on their rent, the Select Subcommittee called for the govern-
ment-sponsored entities (GSEs) direct mortgage servicers to notify
borrowers of the CARES Act notice requirement prior to evicting
a tenant. The Select Subcommittee also requested that the GSEs
direct mortgage servicers to notify borrowers of the terms and
availability of mortgage forbearance.
On October 16, 2020, the Select Subcommittee sent a letter urg-
ing FHFA to take urgent action to prevent foreclosures and re-
leased new information the Select Subcommittee obtained showing
that as of August 2020, more than 31,000 seriously delinquent
homeowners had not received forbearance.
X. FREE, FAIR, AND SAFE ELECTIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC
In August 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investiga-
tion into efforts to prepare for the 2020 general election and follow
CDC guidelines for safe elections during the coronavirus pandemic,
particularly in certain states where voters faced serious impedi-
ments to casting their ballots during the 2020 primary election.
The Select Subcommittee and the Committee on House Administra-
tion sent letters to four states—Texas, Georgia, Florida, and Wis-
consin—where primary elections suffered long lines and polling
worker shortages, among other problems.
On September 9, 2020, the Select Subcommittee held a hearing
on the importance of following CDC’s guidance by providing safe
polling places on Election Day and providing alternatives, such as
voting by mail and dropbox and extended early voting. The same
day, the Select Subcommittee released a staff report with new in-
formation on the risks of inadequate polling places and shortages
of poll workers in Texas, Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin. In some
of these states, these risks were exacerbated by state policies re-
stricting mail-in voting and early voting.
XI. PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
In June 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investigation
into the Trump Administration’s implementation of the Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP), following reports that the program fa-
vored large companies over the neediest small businesses. The Se-
lect Subcommittee sent letters to the Small Business Administra-
tion (SBA), Treasury, banking industry associations, and eight fi-
nancial institutions: JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, PNC Bank, Bank
of America, U.S. Bank, Truist, Wells Fargo, and Santander. The
Subcommittee obtained over 30,000 pages of documents and de-
tailed data on all 5.2 million loans approved by SBA.
The Select Subcommittee released staff reports detailing its find-
ings on September 1, 2020, and October 16, 2020. The Select Sub-
committee found that implementation of the PPP by Treasury,
SBA, and several large financial institutions resulted in minority
and women-owned businesses facing obstacles to receiving PPP
loans. Treasury privately encouraged banks to limit their PPP
lending to existing customers. SBA and Treasury also failed to
issue guidance to prioritize underserved markets, which Congress
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Based on an analysis of loan data, the Select Subcommittee also
concluded that more than 22,500 PPP loans worth more than $4.2
billion issued by the Trump Administration could be subject to
fraud, waste, or abuse. Chairman Clyburn referred these poten-
tially fraudulent loans to the Inspectors General at Treasury and
SBA for examination and called for the Inspectors General to con-
duct a review of the program’s oversight and accountability mecha-
nisms.
XII. EMERGENCY LENDING FACILITIES
The Select Subcommittee held several hearings regarding the
economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, including
hearings with former the Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairs Ben
Bernanke and Janet Yellen on July 17, 2020, Treasury Secretary
Mnuchin on September 1, 2020, and Fed Chair Powell on Sep-
tember 23, 2020.
The Select Subcommittee also launched several investigations
into emergency lending facilities implemented by the Fed and the
Treasury using CARES Act funds. On August 6, 2020, the Select
Subcommittee launched an investigation the Main Street Lending
Program. This inquiry confirmed public reports that disagreements
between the Fed and the Treasury delayed the program’s launch
and constrained its ability to reach small and medium-sized busi-
nesses in need.
The Select Subcommittee also investigated the Fed’s corporate
bond purchases. On September 23, 2020, the Select Subcommittee
issued a staff report documenting how hundreds of companies that
benefitted from these bond purchases laid off a total of more than
one million workers and paid billions of dollars in dividends to
shareholders, exacerbating inequality during the coronavirus crisis.
XIII. PAYROLL SUPPORT PROGRAM
In July 2020, the Select Subcommittee opened an investigation
into Treasury’s implementation of the Payroll Support Program
(PSP) following reports that Treasury provided PSP funds to more
than a dozen airline industry contractors that engaged in mass lay-
offs. The Select Subcommittee reviewed thousands of documents
from Treasury and four of the top aviation contractor recipients of
PSP funds.
The Select Subcommittee released a staff report on October 9,
2020, which identified decisions by the Treasury that undermined
the job-retention purpose of the program. The Select Subcommittee
calculated that Treasury’s actions led companies to lay off more
than 16,500 aviation workers, over 15 percent of the aviation con-
tractor workforce. Also, on October 9, 2020, the Select Sub-
committee sent follow-up letters to several aviation contractors that
received PSP funds urging them to halt any further layoffs or fur-
loughs until the companies spent all remaining PSP funds. The Se-
lect Subcommittee received commitments to halt layoffs from four
companies that collectively employ more than 30,000 workers and
received approximately $595 million in federal payroll support.
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C. OFFICIAL TRAVEL/DELEGATIONS
The Full Committee led bipartisan staff delegations
(STAFFDELs) to Arizona, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, and Texas to conduct oversight inspections of DHS immi-
gration detention facilities in August and September 2019. Com-
mittee staff inspected 22 DHS facilities in those six states, includ-
ing 12 detention centers run by ICE and for-profit contractors,
seven Border Patrol stations, and three ports of entry operated by
CBP.
The Subcommittee on National Security led a congressional dele-
gation (CODEL) that conducted oversight in Singapore, Indonesia,
Australia, and Hawaii from August 27 to September 6, 2019. The
delegation visited U.S. military personnel stationed at Robertson
Barracks in Darwin, Australia and met with anti-money laun-
dering officials and financial regulators in Singapore and Indo-
nesia. The CODEL also met with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
(INDOPACOM) leadership and toured Defense POW/MIA Account-
ing Agency (DPAA) facilities while in Hawaii. The delegation was
led by Subcommittee Chairman Stephen F. Lynch (D–MA) and in-
cluded Subcommittee staff.
The Subcommittee on National Security led a CODEL that con-
ducted oversight in Algeria and Saudi Arabia from October 6 to 11,
2019. In Saudi Arabia, the delegation met with Saudi officials to
examine the U.S.-Saudi bilateral relationship and discuss regional
security challenges of mutual concern. In Algeria, the CODEL met
with State Department and Government of Algeria officials to ex-
amine how U.S. foreign assistance supports Algerian law enforce-
ment and security agencies to help interdict and investigate a wide
variety of crimes and terrorist activities. The delegation was led by
Subcommittee Chairman Stephen F. Lynch (D–MA) and included
Subcommittee staff.
The Full Committee led a STAFFDEL that conducted oversight
at military bases that support F–35 aircraft in December 2019 and
January 2020. The delegation interviewed F–35 maintenance per-
sonnel to conduct oversight of unresolved issues with spare parts
for F–35 aircraft.
The Subcommittee on National Security led a CODEL that con-
ducted oversight in Mali, Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia on January
16–24, 2020. The purpose of this trip was to conduct oversight of
U.S. security and development assistance programs in Mali, as well
as to meet with DOD and Department of State personnel in East
Africa to examine how the United States is combatting terrorist
threats in Somalia and promote security and stability in neigh-
boring Kenya and Ethiopia. The CODEL also examined force opti-
mization in the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility, to in-
clude the impact on operations, risk to force, and logic behind force
structure decisions. The delegation was led by Subcommittee
Chairman Stephen F. Lynch (D–MA) and included Subcommittee
staff.
D. STATE AND DISTRICT LEVEL REPORTS
In the 116th Congress, the Committee issued 238 state and dis-
trict level staff reports for Members of the House. These reports
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• Census: Committee staff issued 98 district level reports
and 11 state level reports detailing the impacts that an
undercount in the Census would have on federal funding for
programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, Title IV–E, Title I, and
WIOA.
• Drug Prices: Committee staff issued 19 state level staff re-
ports detailing the savings for states and the average bene-
ficiaries in those states if H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings
Lower Drug Costs Now Act, becomes law. Issued with the ma-
jority staff of the Committee on Ways and Means, these reports
examined the impact the legislation would have on the costs of
commonly used drugs for conditions such as osteoporosis, blood
clotting and strokes, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pul-
monary disease. Committee staff also issued 93 district level
reports comparing the prices of diabetes drugs in the U.S. to
the prices in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The
reports also estimated potential savings to Medicare bene-
ficiaries and the Medicare program if diabetes drugs had the
same prices in the U.S. as they do abroad.
• Climate: Committee staff issued 14 state level staff reports
detailing the health benefits if the United States meets the
goals of the Paris Agreement. Using the research findings of
Dr. Drew Shindell, Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Earth
Sciences at Duke University, these reports estimated the num-
ber of premature deaths, emergency room visits and hos-
pitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and
lost workdays that could be avoided over the next 50 years if
warming is kept below 2 degrees C.
• Homeowners: Committee staff issued three district level re-
ports detailing the impact of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
on homeowners. These reports examined the number of home-
owners impacted by changes in the ability to deduct interest on
home equity loans, as well as the number of homeowners who
used to be able to deduct their full property taxes but were no
longer able to do so under the new law.
VII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 2(n) OF HOUSE
RULE XI
Under House Rule XI clause 2(n):
(1) Each standing committee, or a subcommittee thereof, shall
hold at least one hearing during each 120-day period following the
establishment of the committee on the topic of waste, fraud, abuse,
or mismanagement in Government programs which that committee
may authorize; (2) A hearing described in subparagraph (1) shall
include a focus on the most egregious instances of waste, fraud,
abuse, or mismanagement as documented by any report the com-
mittee has received from a Federal Office of the Inspector General
or the Comptroller General of the United States.
During the 116th Congress, the Committee held the following
hearings pursuant to this requirement:
Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing on ‘‘Effects of
Vacancies at the Merit Systems Protection Board’’ (February 28,
2019). Witnesses: Ms. Valerie Brannon, Legislative Attorney, Con-
gressional Research Service; Mr. Thomas Devine, Legal Director,
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Government Accountability Project; Mr. John Palguta, Former Di-
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rector of Policy and Evaluation, Merit Systems Protection Board;
Mr. Mark Robbins, Acting Chairman, Merit Systems Protection
Board; Mr. John York, Policy Analyst, Heritage Foundation.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘GAO’s 2019 High Risk Report’’
(March 6, 2019). Witness: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comp-
troller General, Government Accountability Office.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Re-
sponse to the Drug Crisis’’ (March 7, 2019). Witnesses: The Honor-
able James W. Carroll Jr., Director, Office of National Drug Con-
trol Policy; Mr. Mike McDaniel, Director, Houston High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area; Ms. Triana McNeil, Acting Director, Stra-
tegic Issues, Government Accountability Office.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘FOIA: Examining Transparency
Under the Trump Administration’’ (March 13, 2019). Witnesses:
Mr. Timothy R. Epp, Acting Director, National FOIA Office, Office
of General Counsel, Environmental Protection Agency; Ms. Melanie
Ann Pustay, Director, Office of Information Policy, Department of
Justice; Ms. Rachel Spector, Acting Deputy Chief Freedom of Infor-
mation Act Officer, Department of the Interior.
Full Committee Hearing with Commerce Secretary, Wilbur L.
Ross, Jr. (March 14, 2019). Witness: Wilbur Ross, Secretary, De-
partment of Commerce.
Subcommittee on National Security Hearing on ‘‘Special Inspec-
tor General for Afghanistan Reconstruction’s 2019 High-Risk List’’
(April 3, 2019). Witness: The Honorable John F. Sopko, Special In-
spector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Hearing on
‘‘Failure of Administration to Comply with Subpoenas on Child
Separation Policy’’ (April 9, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Chris-
tine Ciccone, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Legislative Af-
fairs, Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable Stephen
E. Boyd, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative
Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable Matthew Bas-
sett, Assistant Secretary for Legislation, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘The Financial Condition of the Post-
al Service’’ (April 30, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Megan J.
Brennan, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service; Ms.
Margaret M. Cigno, Director, Office of Accountability and Compli-
ance, Postal Regulatory Commission; Mr. Joel Quadracci, Chair-
man, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Quad/Graphics; Mr.
Fredric V. Rolando, President, National Association of Letter Car-
riers; Mr. Chris Edwards, Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato In-
stitute.
Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing on ‘‘Govern-
ment Shutdowns: Contract Killers’’ (May 6, 2019). Witnesses: Mr.
Roger A. Krone, Chief Executive Officer, Leidos; Mr. Jaime
Contreras, Vice President, 32BJ SEIU; Ms. Alba M. Aleman, Chief
Executive Officer, Citizant, Inc.; Mr. Wesley Ford, President, TKI
Coffee; Mr. Ed Grabowski, President, Local 2061, International As-
sociation of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Mr. David Berteau,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Professional Services Coun-
cil; Mr. Michael Niggel, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Con-
cepts & Technologies; Mr. Mark Hall, Executive Vice President,
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ServiceSource; Mr. Anthony Crescenzo, Chief Executive Officer,
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IntelliDyne, LLC; Ms. Tamela Worthen, Security Guard, Smithso-
nian Institution.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Re-
sponse to the Drug Crisis, Part II’’ (May 9, 2019). Witnesses: The
Honorable James W. Carroll Jr., Director, Office of National Drug
Control Policy; Ms. Triana McNeil, Acting Director Homeland Secu-
rity and Justice, Government Accountability Office; Ms. Karyl
Thomas Rattay, M.D., M.S., Director, Delaware Division of Public
Health; Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Brevard County, Florida.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘DOD Inspector General Report on
Excess Profits by TransDigm Group, Inc.’’ (May 15, 2019). Wit-
nesses: The Honorable Kevin Fahey, Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition, Department of Defense; The Honorable Glenn Fine,
Acting Inspector General, Department of Defense; Mr. Nicholas
Howley, Executive Chairman and Founder, TransDigm; Ms. The-
resa Hull, Assistant Inspector General for Acquisition, Office of In-
spector General, Department of Defense; Mr. Kevin Stein, Chief
Executive Officer, TransDigm.
Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing on ‘‘The Ad-
ministration’s War on a Merit Based Civil Service’’ (May 21, 2019).
Witnesses: The Honorable Margaret Weichart, Deputy Director of
Management, Office of Management and Budget, Acting Director,
Office of Personnel Management; Ms. Triana McNeil, Acting Direc-
tor of Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office; Mr. Nor-
bert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General, Office of Personnel Manage-
ment Office of Inspector General; Mr. J. David Cox, Sr., National
President, American Federation of Government Employees; Mr.
Ken Thomas, National President, National Active and Retired Fed-
eral Employees; Ms. Linda M. Springer, Former Director, Office of
Personnel Management.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Facial Recognition Technology (Part
II): Ensuring Transparency in Government Use’’ (June 4, 2019).
Witnesses: Ms. Kimberly J. Del Greco, Deputy Assistant Director,
Criminal Justice Information Services, Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation; Dr. Gretta L. Goodwin, Director, Homeland Security and
Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Austin Gould,
Assistant Administrator, Requirements and Capabilities Analysis,
Transportation Security Administration; Dr. Charles H. Romine,
Director, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of
Standards and Technology.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Identifying, Resolving, and Pre-
venting Vulnerabilities in TSA’s Security Operations’’ (June 25,
2019). Witnesses: Mr. Donald Bumgardner, Deputy Assistant In-
spector General, Office of Inspector General; Mr. Charles M. John-
son Jr., Managing Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues,
Government Accountability Office; The Honorable David P.
Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration,
Department of Homeland Security.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Violations of the Hatch Act Under
the Trump Administration’’ (June 26, 2019). Witness: The Honor-
able Henry J. Kerner, Special Counsel, Office of Special Counsel.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘The Trump Administration’s Child
Separation Policy: Substantiated Allegations of Mistreatment’’
(July 12, 2019). Witnesses: The Honorable Veronica Escobar, Mem-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
ber of Congress, TX–16; The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
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Member of Congress, NY–14; The Honorable Ayanna Pressley,
Member of Congress, MA–07; The Honorable Rashida Tlaib, Mem-
ber of Congress, MI–13; Ms. Jennifer L. Costello, Acting Inspector
General, Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Thomas D.
Homan, Former Acting Director, Immigration and Customs En-
forcement; Ms. Ann Maxwell, Assistant Inspector General for Eval-
uation and Inspections, Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices; Ms. Elora Mukherjee, Director, Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, Co-
lumbia Law School; Ms. Jennifer Nagda, Policy Director, Young
Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Violations of the Hatch Act Under
the Trump Administration, Part II: Kellyanne Conway’’ (July 15,
2019). Witness: Ms. Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President,
The White House.
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Hearing on
‘‘Kids in Cages: Inhumane Treatment at the Border’’ (July 10,
2019). Witnesses: Ms. Yazmin Juarez, Asylum Seeker and Mother
of 19-month-old Mariee, who died after detention by Immigration
and Customs Enforcement; Mr. Michael Breen, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Human Rights First; Ms. Clara Long, Deputy
Washington Director, Human Rights Watch; Ms. Hope Frye, Execu-
tive Director, Project Lifeline; Dr. Carlos A. Gutierrez, Pediatrician,
El Paso’s Children’s Hospital; Mr. Ronald D. Vitiello, Former Chief,
Border Patrol, Former Acting Director, Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
Full Committee ‘‘Hearing with Acting Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity Kevin K. McAleenan (July 18, 2019). Witness: The Honor-
able Kevin K. McAleenan.
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Hearing on
‘‘Beyond the Citizenship Question: Repairing the Damage and Pre-
paring to Count ‘We the People’ in 2020’’ (July 24, 2019). Wit-
nesses: Mr. Steven Dillingham, Ph.D., Director, Census Bureau;
Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director of Strategic Issues, U.S. Govern-
ment Accountability Office; Mr. Nicholas Marinos, Director of Infor-
mation Technology and Cybersecurity, Government Accountability
Office.
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Hearing on
‘‘Righting the Ship: The Coast Guard Must Improve its Processes
for Addressing Harassment, Bullying, and Retaliation’’ (December
11, 2019). Witnesses: Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, Deputy
Commandant for Mission Support, United States Coast Guard;
Lieutenant Commander Kimberly Young-McLear, Permanent Com-
missioned Teaching Staff, United States Coast Guard; Mr. Jackson
Eaton, Deputy Assistant Inspector General, United States Depart-
ment of Homeland Security.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Reaching Hard-to-Count Commu-
nities in the 2020 Census’’ (January 9, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Kevin
Allis, Chief Executive Officer, National Congress of American Indi-
ans; Ms. Vanita Gupta, President and Chief Executive Officer, The
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Mr. Darrell
Moore, Executive Director, Center for South Georgia Regional Im-
pact, Valdosta State University; Mr. Marc Morial, President and
Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League; Mr. Arturo
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
Vargas, Chief Executive Officer, NALEO Educational Fund; Mr.
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John Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Ad-
vancing Justice.
Subcommittee on National Security Hearing on ‘‘Examining the
Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Strategy’’ (January 28, 2020).
Witness: The Honorable John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General,
Afghanistan Reconstruction.
Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing on ‘‘Protecting
Those Who Blow the Whistle on Government Wrongdoing’’ (Janu-
ary 28, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. David K. Colapinto, Founder and
General Counsel, National Whistleblower Center; The Honorable
Glenn A. Fine, Principal Deputy Inspector General, Department of
Defense; Ms. Elizabeth Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy,
Project on Government Oversight; The Honorable Michael E. Horo-
witz, Inspector General, Department of Justice; Mr. Paul
Rosenzweig, Resident Senior Fellow, National Security and Cyber-
security, R Street Institute.
Subcommittee on National Security Hearing on ‘‘Karshi-
Khanabad: Hazardous Exposures and Effects on U.S.
Servicemembers’’ (February 27, 2020). Witnesses: Ms. Kim E.
Brooks, Spouse of Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Brooks, U.S. Army;
Mr. Scott W. Welsch, K2 Veteran, Retired Chief Warrant Officer 2,
U.S. Army; Mr. Paul B. Widener Jr. K2 Veteran, Retired Master
Sergeant, U.S. Air Force.
Full Committee Hearing with Census Bureau Director, Dr. Ste-
ven Dillingham (February 12, 2020). Witnesses: The Honorable Dr.
Steven Dillingham, Director, United States Census Bureau; Mr.
Nick Marinos, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity,
Government Accountability Office; Mr. J. Christopher Mihm, Man-
aging Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Mr. Albert E. Fontenot, Associate Director of the Decennial Census
Programs, United States Census Bureau.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘The Administration’s Religious Lib-
erty Assault on LGBTQ Rights’’ (February 27, 2020). Witnesses:
The Honorable Sean Patrick Maloney, Member of Congress, NY–
18; The Honorable Mark Takano, Member of Congress, CA–41; The
Honorable Joseph P. Kennedy, Member of Congress, MA–04; The
Honorable Mike Kelly, Member of Congress, PA–16; Ms. Sarah
Warbelow, Legal Director, Human Rights Campaign; Reverend
Stan J. Sloan, Chief Executive Officer, Family Equality Council;
Mr. Ernesto Olivares, San Antonio, Texas; Mr. Evan Minton, Liver-
more, California; Mr. Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel,
First Liberty Institute.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Coronavirus Preparedness and Re-
sponse’’ (March 11–12, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Direc-
tor, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health; Dr. Robert Redfield, Director, Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention; Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant Sec-
retary, Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and
Human Services; Dr. Terry M. Rauch, Acting Deputy Assistant Sec-
retary of Defense for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight, De-
partment of Defense; Mr. Chris Currie, Director, Emergency Man-
agement and National Preparedness, Government Accountability
Office.
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Hearing on ‘‘Ac-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
countability in Crisis: GAO’s Recommendations to Improve the
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Federal Coronavirus Response’’ (June 26, 2020). Witnesses: The
Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United
States, Government Accountability Office.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘F–35 Joint Strike Fighter: Ensuring
Safety and Accountability in the Government’s Trillion Dollar In-
vestment’’ (July 22, 2020). Witnesses: Lieutenant General Eric T.
Fick, Program Executive Officer, F–35 Joint Program Office, U.S.
Department of Defense; Ms. Theresa Hull, Assistant Inspector Gen-
eral, Department of Defense; The Honorable Ellen Lord, Under
Secretary for Acquisitions and Sustainment, Department of De-
fense; Ms. Diana Maurer, Director, Government Accountability Of-
fice, Defense Capabilities and Management; Mr. Greg Ulmer, Vice
President and General Manager, F–35 Lightning II Program, Lock-
heed Martin Corporation.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Counting Every Person: Safe-
guarding the 2020 Census Against the Trump Administration’s Un-
constitutional Attacks’’ (July 29, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. Vincent
Barabba, Former Director, Census Bureau; Dr. Steven Dillingham,
Director, Census Bureau; Mr. John Eastman, Professor, Henry
Salvatori Professor of Law and Community Service Director, Cen-
ter for Constitutional Jurisprudence, Dale E. Fowler School of Law,
on behalf of Chapman University, Senior Fellow, Claremont Insti-
tute; Mr. Robert M. Groves, Former Director, Census Bureau
(2009–2012); Mr. Kenneth Prewitt, Former Director, Census Bu-
reau (1998–2001); Mr. John H. Thompson, Former Director, Census
Bureau (2013–2017).
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Hybrid Hearing
on ‘‘The Urgent Need for a National Plan to Contain the
Coronavirus’’ (July 31, 2020). Witnesses: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Direc-
tor, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health; Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D., Assistant Sec-
retary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Dr.
Robert R. Redfield, M.D., Director, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Protecting the Timely Delivery of
Mail, Medicine, and Mail-in Ballots’’ (August 24, 2020). Witnesses:
Mr. Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Serv-
ice; The Honorable Robert Duncan, Chairman, United States Postal
Service Board of Governors.
Full Committee Hearing on ‘‘Providing the Census Bureau with
the Time to Produce a Complete and Accurate Census’’ (September
10, 2020). Witnesses: Mr. J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director,
Strategic Issues Team, Government Accountability Office; Mr. John
H. Thompson, Former Director, Census Bureau (2013–2017); Mr.
Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor, Gila River Indian Community; Ms.
Stacey Carless, Executive Director, NC Counts Coalition; Mr. Hans
A. von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow, Heritage Foundation.
Subcommittee on National Security Hearing on ‘‘Examining the
Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Strategy, Part 2’’ (September
22, 2020). Witnesses: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Rep-
resentative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Department of State;
Mr. David F. Helvey, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REPORT
of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, Department of Defense.
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VIII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (p) OF HOUSE
RULE XI
Under House Rule XI clause 2(p):
Each standing committee, or a subcommittee thereof, shall hold
at least one hearing on issues raised by reports issued by the
Comptroller General of the United States indicating that Federal
programs or operations that the committee may authorize are at
high risk for waste, fraud, and mismanagement, known as the
‘‘high-risk list’’ or the ‘‘high-risk series.’’
During the 116th Congress, the Committee held the following
hearings pursuant to this requirement:
Hearing on ‘‘GAO’s 2019 High Risk Report’’ (March 6, 2019). Wit-
ness: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, Govern-
ment Accountability Office.
Æ
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