Report on the Activities of the Committee on Finance During the 116th Congress: Senate Report 117-9
Summary
Senate Report 117-9 of the 117th Congress, 1st Session, dated April 13, 2021, on the activities of the Committee on Finance during the 116th Congress, issued under Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate. The text lists the committee membership under Chairman Chuck Grassley, along with subcommittees. In its section on official communications, the report states that during the 116th Congress a total of 472 official communications were submitted, of which 4 were Presidential Messages, 420 were Executive Communications and 48 were Petitions and Memorials.
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“Report on the Activities of the Committee on Finance During the 116th Congress: Senate Report 117-9.”
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117TH CONGRESS REPORT
" SENATE !
1st Session 117–9
R E P O R T
ON THE ACTIVITIES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
OF THE
UNITED STATES SENATE
DURING THE
116TH CONGRESS
PURSUANT TO
Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules
OF THE
UNITED STATES SENATE
APRIL 13, 2021.—Ordered to be printed
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U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
19–010 WASHINGTON : 2021
E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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[116TH CONGRESS—COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP]
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa, Chairman
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho RON WYDEN, Oregon
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
JOHN CORNYN, Texas ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 1 SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado
PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina MARK R. WARNER, Virginia
BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
STEVE DAINES, Montana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
TODD YOUNG, Indiana
BEN SASSE, Nebraska 2
KOLAN DAVIS, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
JOSHUA SHEINKMAN, Democratic Staff Director
SUBCOMMITTEES
HEALTH CARE
PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania, Chairman
CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 3 MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 4 ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 1 SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania
BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana MARK R. WARNER, Virginia
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
STEVE DAINES, Montana MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
TODD YOUNG, Indiana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
BEN SASSE, Nebraska 5
----
INTERNATIONAL TRADE, CUSTOMS, AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
JOHN CORNYN, Texas, Chairman
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 3 RON WYDEN, Oregon
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 1 MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana MARK R. WARNER, Virginia
STEVE DAINES, Montana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
TODD YOUNG, Indiana
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BEN SASSE, Nebraska 5
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ENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND INFRASTRUCTURE
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina, Chairman
CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho RON WYDEN, Oregon
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 3 MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 4 THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
JOHN CORNYN, Texas SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
STEVE DAINES, Montana
SOCIAL SECURITY, PENSIONS, AND FAMILY POLICY
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio, Chairman
CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania
TODD YOUNG, Indiana CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
TAXATION AND IRS OVERSIGHT
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho MARK R. WARNER, Virginia
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 4 ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
JOHN CORNYN, Texas THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia 1 MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 6
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana, Chairman
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 7 RON WYDEN, Oregon
BEN SASSE, Nebraska 5
—————
1 Left the committee December 31, 2019.
2 Joined the committee January 6, 2020.
3 Left the subcommittee January 6, 2020.
4 Left the subcommittee January 6, 2020.
5 Joined the subcommittee January 6, 2020.
6 Joined the subcommittee January 6, 2020.
7 Left the subcommittee January 6, 2020.
(III)
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
U.S. SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE,
Washington, DC, April 13, 2021.
Honorable SONCERIA ‘‘ANN’’ BERRY,
Secretary, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
DEAR MADAM SECRETARY: In accordance with rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the United States Senate and the pertinent
unanimous consent order pertaining to this rule, I am transmitting
herewith a report on the activities of the Committee on Finance of
the United States Senate for the 116th Congress.
Sincerely,
RON WYDEN, Chairman.
(V)
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CONTENTS
Page
116th Congress—Committee Membership ............................................................. II
Letter of Transmittal ............................................................................................... V
Committee Jurisdiction ........................................................................................... 1
Rules of Procedure ................................................................................................... 2
Tax—Summary of Activities ................................................................................... 5
Full Committee Hearings ................................................................................ 6
Full Committee Member Meeting ................................................................... 7
Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth .................... 7
Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy .................. 7
Trade—Summary of Activities ................................................................................ 9
Full Committee Hearings ................................................................................ 9
Full Committee Open Executive Session ........................................................ 11
Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitive-
ness ................................................................................................................ 11
SAGON Meetings ............................................................................................. 11
Health—Summary of Activities .............................................................................. 13
Full Committee Hearings ................................................................................ 14
Full Committee Open Executive Session ........................................................ 15
Subcommittee on Health Care ........................................................................ 15
Human Services—Summary of Activities .............................................................. 17
Full Committee Hearing .................................................................................. 18
Full Committee Member Meeting ................................................................... 18
Special Projects—Summary of Activities ............................................................... 19
Full Committee Hearings ................................................................................ 23
Full Committee Member Meeting ................................................................... 24
Bi-Partisan Working Group on Paid Family Leave ................................ 24
Oversight and Investigations—Summary of Activities ......................................... 25
Full Committee Hearings ................................................................................ 36
Full Committee Classified Briefing ................................................................. 37
Nominations ............................................................................................................. 39
Bills and Resolutions Referred to the Committee ................................................. 51
Reports, Prints, and Studies ................................................................................... 53
Official Communications ......................................................................................... 55
(VII)
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117TH CONGRESS REPORT
" SENATE !
1st Session 117–9
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON
FINANCE DURING THE 116TH CONGRESS
APRIL 13, 2021.—Ordered to be printed
Mr. WYDEN, from the Committee on Finance,
submitted the following
REPORT
This report reviews the legislative and oversight activities of the
Committee on Finance during the 116th Congress. These activities
parallel the broad scope of responsibilities vested in the committee
by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, rule
XXV(k) of the Standing Rules of the Senate, and additional author-
izing resolutions.
COMMITTEE JURISDICTION
Rule XXV(i) of the Standing Rules of the Senate requires ref-
erence to this committee of all proposed legislation, and other mat-
ters, dealing with (i) Committee on Finance, to which committee
shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, me-
morials, and other matters relating to the following subjects:
1. Bonded debt of the United States, except as provided in
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
2. Customs, collection districts, and ports of entry and de-
livery.
3. Deposit of public moneys.
4. General revenue sharing.
5. Health programs under the Social Security Act and
health programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund.
6. National social security.
7. Reciprocal trade agreements.
8. Revenue measures generally, except as provided in the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
9. Revenue measures relating to the insular possessions.
10. Tariffs and import quotas, and matters related thereto.
11. Transportation of dutiable goods.
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COMMITTEE RULES
I. RULES OF PROCEDURE
Rule 1. Regular Meeting Days.—The regular meeting day of the committee shall
be the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, except that if there be no business
before the committee the regular meeting shall be omitted.
Rule 2. Committee Meetings.—(a) Except as provided by paragraph 3 of Rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate (relating to special meetings called by a
majority of the committee) and subsection (b) of this rule, committee meetings, for
the conduct of business, for the purpose of holding hearings, or for any other pur-
pose, shall be called by the chairman. Members will be notified of committee meet-
ings at least 48 hours in advance, unless the chairman determines that an emer-
gency situation requires a meeting on shorter notice. The notification will include
a written agenda together with materials prepared by the staff relating to that
agenda. After the agenda for a committee meeting is published and distributed, no
nongermane items may be brought up during that meeting unless at least two-
thirds of the members present agree to consider those items.
(b) In the absence of the chairman, meetings of the committee may be called
by the ranking majority member of the committee who is present, provided author-
ity to call meetings has been delegated to such member by the chairman.
Rule 3. Presiding Officer.—(a) The chairman shall preside at all meetings and
hearings of the committee except that in his absence the ranking majority member
who is present at the meeting shall preside.
(b) Notwithstanding the rule prescribed by subsection (a) any member of the
committee may preside over the conduct of a hearing.
Rule 4. Quorums.—(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) one-third of the
membership of the committee, including not less than one member of the majority
party and one member of the minority party, shall constitute a quorum for the con-
duct of business.
(b) Notwithstanding the rule prescribed by subsection (a) one member shall con-
stitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting a hearing.
Rule 5. Reporting of Measures or Recommendations.—No measure or rec-
ommendation shall be reported from the committee unless a majority of the com-
mittee is actually present and a majority of those present concur.
Rule 6. Proxy Voting; Polling.—(a) Except as provided by paragraph 7(a)(3) of
Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate (relating to limitation on use of
proxy voting to report a measure or matter), members who are unable to be present
may have their vote recorded by proxy.
(b) At the discretion of the committee, members who are unable to be present
and whose vote has not been cast by proxy may be polled for the purpose of record-
ing their vote on any rollcall taken by the committee.
Rule 7. Order of Motions.—When several motions are before the committee deal-
ing with related or overlapping matters, the chairman may specify the order in
which the motions shall be voted upon.
Rule 8. Bringing a Matter to a Vote.—If the chairman determines that a motion
or amendment has been adequately debated, he may call for a vote on such motion
or amendment, and the vote shall then be taken, unless the committee votes to con-
tinue debate on such motion or amendment, as the case may be. The vote on a mo-
tion to continue debate on any motion or amendment shall be taken without debate.
Rule 9. Public Announcement of Committee Votes.—Pursuant to paragraph 7(b)
of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate (relating to public announcement
of votes), the results of rollcall votes taken by the committee on any measure (or
amendment thereto) or matter shall be announced publicly not later than the day
on which such measure or matter is ordered reported from the committee.
Rule 10. Subpoenas.—Subpoenas for attendance of witnesses and the production
of memoranda, documents, and records shall be issued by the chairman, or by any
other member of the committee designated by him.
Rule 11. Nominations.—In considering a nomination, the committee may conduct
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ability, to serve in the position to which he or she has been nominated. To aid in
such investigation or review, each nominee may be required to submit a sworn de-
tailed statement including biographical, financial, policy, and other information
which the committee may request. The committee may specify which items in such
statement are to be received on a confidential basis. Witnesses called to testify on
the nomination may be required to testify under oath.
Rule 12. Open Committee Hearings.—To the extent required by paragraph 5 of
Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate (relating to limitations on open hear-
ings), each hearing conducted by the committee shall be open to the public.
Rule 13. Announcement of Hearings.—The committee shall undertake consistent
with the provisions of paragraph 4(a) of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the
Senate (relating to public notice of committee hearings) to issue public announce-
ments of hearings it intends to hold at least one week prior to the commencement
of such hearings.
Rule 14. Witnesses at Hearings.—(a) Each witness who is scheduled to testify at
any hearing must submit his written testimony to the staff director not later than
noon of the business day immediately before the last business day preceding the day
on which he is scheduled to appear. Such written testimony shall be accompanied
by a brief summary of the principal points covered in the written testimony. Having
submitted his written testimony, the witness shall be allowed not more than 10
minutes for oral presentation of his statement.
(b) Witnesses may not read their entire written testimony, but must confine
their oral presentation to a summarization of their arguments.
(c) Witnesses shall observe proper standards of dignity, decorum, and propriety
while presenting their views to the committee. Any witness who violates this rule
shall be dismissed, and his testimony (both oral and written) shall not appear in
the record of the hearing.
(d) In scheduling witnesses for hearings, the staff shall attempt to schedule wit-
nesses so as to attain a balance of views early in the hearings. Every member of
the committee may designate witnesses who will appear before the committee to tes-
tify. To the extent that a witness designated by a member cannot be scheduled to
testify during the time set aside for the hearing, a special time will be set aside
for the witness to testify if the member designating that witness is available at that
time to chair the hearing.
Rule 15. Audiences.—Persons admitted into the audience for open hearings of
the committee shall conduct themselves with the dignity, decorum, courtesy, and
propriety traditionally observed by the Senate. Demonstrations of approval or dis-
approval of any statement or act by any member or witness are not allowed. Persons
creating confusion or distractions or otherwise disrupting the orderly proceeding of
the hearing shall be expelled from the hearing.
Rule 16. Broadcasting of Hearings.—(a) Broadcasting of open hearings by tele-
vision or radio coverage shall be allowed upon approval by the chairman of a re-
quest filed with the staff director not later than noon of the day before the day on
which such coverage is desired.
(b) If such approval is granted, broadcasting coverage of the hearing shall be
conducted unobtrusively and in accordance with the standards of dignity, propriety,
courtesy, and decorum traditionally observed by the Senate.
(c) Equipment necessary for coverage by television and radio media shall not
be installed in, or removed from, the hearing room while the committee is in ses-
sion.
(d) Additional lighting may be installed in the hearing room by the media in
order to raise the ambient lighting level to the lowest level necessary to provide ade-
quate television coverage of the hearing at the then current state of the art of tele-
vision coverage.
(e) The additional lighting authorized by subsection (d) of this rule shall not be
directed into the eyes of any members of the committee or of any witness, and at
the request of any such member or witness, offending lighting shall be extinguished.
Rule 17. Subcommittees.—(a) The chairman, subject to the approval of the com-
mittee, shall appoint legislative subcommittees. All legislation shall be kept on the
full committee calendar unless a majority of the members present and voting agree
to refer specific legislation to an appropriate subcommittee.
(b) The chairman may limit the period during which House-passed legislation
referred to a subcommittee under paragraph (a) will remain in that subcommittee.
At the end of that period, the legislation will be restored to the full committee cal-
endar. The period referred to in the preceding sentences should be 6 weeks, but may
be extended in the event that adjournment or a long recess is imminent.
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(c) All decisions of the chairman are subject to approval or modification by a
majority vote of the committee.
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(d) The full committee may at any time by majority vote of those members
present discharge a subcommittee from further consideration of a specific piece of
legislation.
(e) The chairman and ranking minority member shall serve as nonvoting ex
officio members of the subcommittees on which they do not serve as voting mem-
bers.
(f) Any member of the committee may attend hearings held by any sub-
committee and question witnesses testifying before that subcommittee.
(g) Subcommittee meeting times shall be coordinated by the staff director to en-
sure that—
(1) no subcommittee meeting will be held when the committee is in executive
session, except by unanimous consent;
(2) no more than one subcommittee will meet when the full committee is hold-
ing hearings; and
(3) not more than two subcommittees will meet at the same time.
Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), a subcommittee may meet when the full
committee is holding hearings and two subcommittees may meet at the same time
only upon the approval of the chairman and the ranking minority member of the
committee and subcommittees involved.
(h) All nominations shall be considered by the full committee.
(i) The chairman will attempt to schedule reasonably frequent meetings of the
full committee to permit consideration of legislation reported favorably to the com-
mittee by the subcommittees.
Rule 18. Transcripts of Committee Meetings.—An accurate record shall be kept
of all markups of the committee, whether they be open or closed to the public. A
transcript, marked as ‘‘uncorrected,’’ shall be available for inspection by members
of the Senate, or members of the committee together with their staffs, at any time.
Not later than 21 business days after the meeting occurs, the committee shall make
publicly available through the Internet—
(a) a video recording;
(b) an audio recording; or
(c) after all members of the committee have had a reasonable opportunity to cor-
rect their remarks for grammatical errors or to accurately ref lect statements, a cor-
rected transcript.
Notwithstanding the above, in the case of the record of an executive session of
the committee that is closed to the public pursuant to Rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the record shall not be published or made public in any way
except by majority vote of the committee after all members of the committee have
had a reasonable opportunity to correct their remarks for grammatical errors or to
accurately ref lect statements made.
Rule 19. Amendment of Rules.—The foregoing rules may be added to, modified,
amended, or suspended at any time.
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TAX
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
In the 116th Congress, the Senate Finance Committee was re-
sponsible for the enactment of significant legislation including ex-
pansion of retirement savings, improvements to tax administration,
extension of expiring provisions, and tax relief to address the indi-
vidual and economic effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
During the first session, the Finance Committee focused on com-
pleting several pieces of unfinished business from the 115th Con-
gress. This included finalizing legislation to improve tax adminis-
tration and compliance with a focus on improving taxpayer service,
strengthening taxpayer rights, and modernizing the Internal Rev-
enue Service. The legislation was ultimately enacted as the Tax-
payer First Act (Pub. L. No. 116–25), in July 2019. The committee
also completed work that began in the 114th Congress to enhance
retirement saving in the Setting Every Community Up for Retire-
ment Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, which was enacted as
part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L.
No. 116–94) in December 2019.
The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 also ex-
tended numerous expired and expiring provisions, known as ‘‘ex-
tenders,’’ generally through 2020. The Finance Committee formed
five member-led task forces to examine and report on the expiring
provisions, which served as a foundation for the extenders legisla-
tion. A sixth task force focused on disaster assistance and contrib-
uted to the tax relief included in the Further Consolidated Appro-
priations Act, 2020 for individuals and businesses affected by re-
cent natural disasters.
The committee’s work in the second session was dominated by
the Coronavirus pandemic and its far-reaching effects on the health
and safety of individuals, families, and businesses across the Na-
tion. The committee played a leading role in providing tax relief to
help Americans during the pandemic response and assist busi-
nesses to continue their operations and keep employees on payroll
to the greatest extent possible, which was included in the Families
First Coronavirus Response Act (Pub. L. No. 116–127) and the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Pub.
L. No. 116–136) enacted in March 2020. The committee worked
closely with the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue
Service to ensure that individual relief, in particular the Economic
Impact Payments, and the business and employment provisions,
were implemented as quickly as possible. The committee also
worked throughout the remainder of the year to develop additional
legislation to provide tax relief to help families and to help employ-
ers rehire workers and resume operations, significant portions of
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which were enacted on December 27, 2020, in the Consolidated Ap-
propriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116–260).
Building on the work from the first session, the committee devel-
oped legislation to address the tax extenders expiring at the end
of 2020. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 included the
committee’s legislation making a number of provisions permanent,
extending some for 5 years, and continuing others through 2021.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 also included tax relief
for victims of the natural disasters that occurred across the country
in 2020.
Throughout both sessions, the committee continued its consulta-
tions with the Treasury Department on the implementation of the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Pub. L. No. 115–97). Additionally,
the committee continued to engage with the Treasury Department
and other stakeholders regarding the ongoing discussions of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and its
efforts to develop consensus proposals regarding the taxation of
digital services, global profit allocation, nexus, and anti-tax base
erosion proposals.
FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS
2019
March 14, 2019—‘‘President’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget.’’ The hear-
ing covered the President’s 2020 budget as well as the operations
of the Department of the Treasury and various issues concerning
implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Testimony
was heard from the Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary, De-
partment of the Treasury, Washington, DC.
April 10, 2019—‘‘The 2019 Tax Filing Season and the 21st-Century
IRS.’’ The hearing examined issues related to the 2019 tax filing
season and modernization of the Internal Revenue Service, in-
cluding IRS performance, customer service challenges, and infor-
mation technology. Testimony was heard from the Honorable
Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service,
Washington, DC.
May 14, 2019—‘‘Challenges in the Retirement System.’’ The hear-
ing focused on current challenges in the U.S. retirement system
and reviewed current legislation, including the Retirement En-
hancement and Savings Act (RESA), additional policy ideas to
improve retirement savings, and State programs to increase ac-
cess to tax-preferred retirement savings plans. Testimony was
heard from Joni Tibbetts, vice president, retirement and income
solutions, The Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, IA; the
Honorable Tobias Read, Oregon State Treasurer, Salem, OR;
Joan Ruff, board chair, AARP, Washington, DC; and Lynn D.
Dudley, senior vice president, global retirement and compensa-
tion policy, American Benefits Council, Washington, DC.
2020
February 12, 2020—‘‘President’s Fiscal Year 2021 Budget.’’ The
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hearing covered the President’s 2021 budget and the operations
of the Department of the Treasury. Testimony was heard from
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the Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary, Department of the
Treasury, Washington, DC.
June 30, 2020—‘‘2020 Filing Season and IRS COVID–19 Recovery.’’
The hearing examined issues related to the 2020 tax filing sea-
son and the Internal Revenue Service’s efforts to implement the
provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
(CARES) Act and recover from the COVID–19 pandemic shut-
down requirements. Testimony was heard from the Honorable
Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service,
Washington, DC.
FULL COMMITTEE MEMBER MEETING
December 11, 2019—Full Committee Member Meeting to review
options available to address the financial challenges facing the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the multiemployer
pension system. The meeting focused on the current state of the
multiemployer pension system and plans in the most critical con-
dition. Panelists focused on features of the Grassley-Alexander
multiemployer pension relief proposal, including financial relief
to failing plans and the need for funding and other reforms to
protect participant and retiree benefits and to ensure the long-
term stability of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s in-
surance fund. The briefing panel included the Honorable Gordon
Hartogensis, Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation,
Washington, DC; Thomas Barthold, Chief of Staff, Joint Com-
mittee on Taxation, Washington, DC; and Sheila Dacey, Chief,
Income Security and Education Cost Estimates Unit, Congres-
sional Budget Office, Washington, DC.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
2020
October 7, 2020—‘‘The Fiscal Outlook.’’ Testimony was heard from
the Honorable Phillip L. Swagel, Ph.D., Director, Congressional
Budget Office, Washington, DC; and the Honorable Gene L.
Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Government
Accountability Office, Washington, DC.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SECURITY, PENSIONS,
AND FAMILY POLICY
2020
December 9, 2020—‘‘Investigating Challenges to American Retire-
ment Security.’’ Testimony was heard from Scott Barr, AAMS, fi-
nancial advisor, Edward Jones, Zanesville, OH; Eric Stevenson,
president, retirement plans, Nationwide, Columbus, OH; Michael
P. Kreps, principal, Groom Law Group, Washington, DC; and
Joshua Luskin, president, National Association of Government
Defined Contribution Administrators, Lexington, KY.
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TRADE
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
In the 116th Congress, the Senate Finance Committee sought to
enact policies to expand trade and investment-related opportunities
for American businesses, farmers, and workers, including through
oversight of how the administration conducted trade policy. Nota-
bly, the committee guided passage of landmark legislation approv-
ing and implementing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agree-
ment (USMCA), the modernized successor to the North American
Free Trade Agreement. This modernized agreement will enhance
opportunities for Americans with two of our most important trad-
ing partners, Canada and Mexico.
The committee also advised and conducted oversight of ongoing
trade agreement negotiations being conducted pursuant to Trade
Promotion Authority, including those with the European Union,
Japan, the United Kingdom, and Kenya, as well as other trade-
related negotiations including those that culminated in the phase
1 deal with China. The committee ensured the administration re-
mained abreast of committee priorities as those negotiations ad-
vanced.
The committee held several hearings to examine the U.S. trade
policies and to assess opportunities to improve and increase trade.
Of particular importance, the committee held two hearings regard-
ing the World Trade Organization (WTO). Those hearings provided
an opportunity for members to consider how U.S. trade policy could
help reform this critically important institution.
Outside of hearings, the committee also examined a number of
the administration’s trade actions, including investigations that the
Department of Commerce undertook pursuant to section 232 of the
Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and the U.S. Trade Representative
pursuant to section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The committee
also requested that the U.S. International Trade Commission con-
duct investigations pursuant to section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930
to identify and understand the trade in goods related to addressing
the coronavirus pandemic, as well as an investigation into how for-
eign censorship practices adversely affect American trade interests.
FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS
2019
March 12, 2019—‘‘Approaching 25: The Road Ahead for the World
Trade Organization.’’ The committee examined the administra-
tion’s approach to reform at the World Trade Organization, par-
ticularly with regard to the Appellate Body’s operation and how
to move forward with new WTO rules to address China’s unfair
trade practices. Testimony was heard from the Honorable Robert
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E. Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative, Executive Of-
fice of the President, Washington, DC.
June 18, 2019—‘‘The President’s 2019 Trade Policy Agenda and the
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.’’ The committee exam-
ined the President’s trade priorities for 2019, particularly the
push to replace NAFTA with the USMCA. The hearing also fea-
tured discussions on enforcement of U.S. trade laws to address
trade irritants; pursuing trade agreements with the European
Union, Japan, and the United Kingdom; negotiations with China
to resolve a broad range of trade issues; and WTO reform. Testi-
mony was heard from the Honorable Robert E. Lighthizer,
United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the
President, Washington, DC.
July 30, 2019—‘‘The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.’’
The committee examined the provisions in the USMCA and em-
phasized the benefits the updated agreement would bring to
American businesses, families, and workers. Testimony was
heard from Paula Barnett, owner, designer, maker, Paula Elaine
Barnett Jewelry, Brownsville, OR; the Honorable Matt Blunt,
president, American Automotive Policy Council, Washington, DC;
James C. Collins, Jr., chief executive officer, Corteva Agriscience,
Wilmington, DE; Derek Leathers, president and chief executive
officer, Werner Enterprises, Inc., Omaha, NE; the Honorable
Thomas J. Vilsack, president and chief executive officer, U.S.
Dairy Export Council, Arlington, VA; and Michael Wessel, staff
chair, Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and
Trade Policy, and president, The Wessel Group, Washington, DC.
2020
June 17, 2020—‘‘The President’s 2020 Trade Policy Agenda.’’ The
committee examined the President’s trade priorities for 2020 in
light of the COVID–19 pandemic. The committee examined im-
plementation of the USMCA and China phase 1 deal, trade nego-
tiations with the United Kingdom and Kenya, WTO reform, and
digital services taxes implemented by U.S. trading partners. Tes-
timony was heard from the Honorable Robert E. Lighthizer,
United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the
President, Washington, DC.
July 29, 2020—‘‘WTO Reform: Making Global Rules Work for Glob-
al Challenges.’’ The committee examined longstanding issues at
the WTO and the need for a strong WTO reform agenda. The
committee highlighted the importance of the WTO to U.S. inter-
ests, particularly in regard to confronting China. Testimony was
heard from Jennifer A. Hillman, senior fellow for trade and inter-
national political economy, Council on Foreign Relations, and
professor, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC;
Thomas R. Graham, partner, Cassidy Levy Kent, Washington,
DC; Laura J. Lane, chief corporate affairs and communications
officer, UPS, Washington, DC; Joseph W. Glauber, Ph.D., senior
research fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute,
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icy, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC.
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FULL COMMITTEE OPEN EXECUTIVE SESSION
January 7, 2020—Open Executive Session to consider the United
States-Mexico-Canada Implementation Act and to favorably re-
port the bill to the floor.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE, CUSTOMS,
AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
2019
June 12, 2019—‘‘China’s Belt and Road Initiative.’’ The sub-
committee examined China’s Belt and Road Initiative and ex-
pressed concerns over China using this initiative to exert influ-
ence over recipient countries. Testimony was heard from Carolyn
Bartholomew, Chairman, U.S.-China Economic and Security Re-
view Commission, Washington, DC; Roy D. Kamphausen, Com-
missioner, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commis-
sion; Daniel Kliman, Ph.D., senior fellow and director, Asia-
Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security,
Washington, DC; and Derek Scissors, Ph.D., resident scholar,
American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC.
2020
June 30, 2020—‘‘Censorship as a Non-Tariff Barrier to Trade.’’ The
subcommittee met to highlight the economic harm Chinese cen-
sorship imposes on U.S. companies. Testimony was heard from
Richard Gere, chairman, International Campaign for Tibet,
Washington, DC; Nigel Cory, associate director, trade policy, In-
formation Technology and Innovation Foundation, Washington,
DC; Beth Baltzan, fellow, Open Markets Institute, Washington,
DC; and Clete R. Willems, partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer,
and Feld LLP, Washington, DC.
SAGON MEETINGS
February 6, 2019—Meeting of the Senate Advisory Group on Nego-
tiations, as required by section 104(c)(1) of the Bipartisan Con-
gressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, to dis-
cuss congressional priorities for trade negotiations and agree-
ments during the 116th Congress. The Honorable Robert E.
Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative, Executive Office
of the President, Washington, DC, testified.
March 12, 2020—Meeting of the Senate Advisory Group on Nego-
tiations to discuss potential trade negotiations with Kenya. The
Honorable Robert E. Lighthizer, United States Trade Represent-
ative, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC, testi-
fied.
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HEALTH
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
In the 116th Congress, the committee focused on improving
Medicare and Medicaid programs for individuals, providers, and
taxpayers.
In July of 2019, the committee reported the Prescription Drug
Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA) in a bipartisan vote of 19–9.
PDPRA, which is based on information gathered in a three-part
hearing series, would lower patient’s costs, address manufacturer
price increases, increase transparency, reduce Federal spending,
and lower commercial drug costs.
The committee played a key role in passing Medicaid and Medi-
care improvements into law. In April of 2019, Congress passed and
the President signed the Medicaid Services Investment and Ac-
countability Act of 2019, which helps ensure medically complex
children receive coordinated care in the Medicaid program, and
prevents drug makers from misclassifying drugs to avoid paying
Medicaid rebates. In December of 2019, the committee crafted poli-
cies that were signed into law in the Further Consolidated Appro-
priations Act of 2020 that ensure Medicare beneficiaries have ac-
cess to vital services and items, including stem cell transplants,
laboratory tests, and complex wheelchair equipment.
The committee also authored several policies included in legisla-
tion to respond to the COVID–19 pandemic, most notably the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that
the Congress passed and the President signed into law in March
of 2020. Examples of CARES Act policies that help patients and
providers include: expanded Medicare telehealth flexibilities; Medi-
care coverage of COVID–19 vaccines with no beneficiary cost-
sharing; loans to hospitals and other providers in the form of an
advance on future Medicare payments, and expanded patient use
of Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
In March of 2020, the committee issued a bipartisan stakeholder
request for information on how to tackle poor maternal health out-
comes, a crisis that disproportionately affects women of color and
women living in rural areas. The committee undertook a process to
identify bipartisan policy ideas to improve maternal health out-
comes in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program
recommended by stakeholders and individual Senators.
The committee authored several provisions that were included in
H.R. 133, the vehicle for government funding, health extenders,
COVID–19 relief, and other matters that Congress passed and the
President signed into law in December 2020. The bill includes poli-
cies that extend expiring Medicare, Medicaid, and Human Services
programs for 3 years and provide other support to patients and
providers, including by strengthening rural health care infrastruc-
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14
ture and permanently expanding access to mental health services
via telehealth.
FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS
2019
January 29, 2019—‘‘Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for
Change, Part I.’’ Testimony was heard from Kathy Sego, mother
of a child with insulin-dependent diabetes, Madison, IN; Douglas
Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D., president, American Action Forum, Wash-
ington, DC; Mark Miller, Ph.D., executive vice president of
health care, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Houston, TX;
and Peter B. Bach, M.D., director, Center for Health Policy and
Outcomes, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York,
NY.
February 26, 2019—‘‘Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for
Change, Part II.’’ Testimony was heard from Richard A. Gon-
zalez, chairman and chief executive officer, AbbVie Inc., North
Chicago, IL; Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer, AstraZeneca,
Wilmington, DE; Giovanni Caforio, M.D., chairman of the board
and chief executive officer, Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company, New
York, NY; Jennifer Taubert, executive vice president, worldwide
chairman, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, New
Brunswick, NJ; Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief execu-
tive officer, Merck and Company, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ; Albert
Bourla, DVM, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Pfizer, New York,
NY; and Olivier Brandicourt, M.D., chief executive officer, Sanofi,
Bridgewater, NJ.
March 14, 2019—‘‘President’s Fiscal Year 2020 Health Care Pro-
posals.’’ Testimony was heard from the Honorable Alex M. Azar
II, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, Wash-
ington, DC.
April 9, 2019—‘‘Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for
Change, Part III.’’ Testimony was heard from Steve Miller, M.D.,
executive vice president and chief clinical officer, Cigna Corpora-
tion, Bloomfield, CT; Derica Rice, executive vice president, CVS
Health, and president, CVS Caremark, Woonsocket, RI; William
K. Fleming, Pharm.D., segment president, healthcare services,
Humana, Inc., Louisville, KY; John M. Prince, chief executive of-
ficer, OptumRx, Minnetonka, MN; and Mike Kolar, interim presi-
dent and CEO, Prime Therapeutics, LLC, Eagan, MN.
May 8, 2019—‘‘Medicare Physician Payment Reform After Two
Years: Examining MACRA Implementation and the Road
Ahead.’’ Testimony was heard from Barbara L. McAneny, M.D.,
president, American Medical Association, Chicago, IL; John
Cullen, M.D., FAAFP, president, American Academy of Family
Physicians, Leawood, KS; Frank Opelka, M.D., FACS, medical di-
rector for quality and health policy, American College of Sur-
geons, Chicago, IL; Scott Hines, M.D., director, American Medical
Group Association, Alexandria, VA; and Matthew Fiedler, Ph.D.,
fellow, USC–Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy,
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2020
February 13, 2020—‘‘President’s Fiscal Year 2021 Health Care Pro-
posals.’’ Testimony was heard from the Honorable Alex M. Azar
II, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, Wash-
ington, DC.
FULL COMMITTEE OPEN EXECUTIVE SESSION
July 25, 2019—Open Executive Session to consider an original bill
entitled ‘‘The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019.’’
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE
2019
October 30, 2019—‘‘Medicaid: Compliance With Eligibility Require-
ments.’’ Testimony was heard from Brian P. Ritchie, Assistant
Inspector General for Audit Services, Office of Inspector General,
Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC;
Carolyn L. Yocom, Director, Health Care, Government Account-
ability Office, Washington, DC; Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE,
Legislative Auditor, State of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA; and
Judith Solomon, senior fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Pri-
orities, Washington, DC.
November 20, 2019—‘‘Alzheimer’s Awareness: Barriers to Diag-
nosis, Treatment, and Care Coordination.’’ Testimony was heard
from Jason Karlawish, M.D., professor of medicine, medical eth-
ics and health policy, and neurology, and co-director, Penn Mem-
ory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Janet
Tomcavage, R.N., MSN, chief nursing executive, Geisinger, Win-
field, PA; Marc A. Cohen, Ph.D., clinical professor of gerontology,
McCormack Graduate School, and co-director, LeadingAge LTSS
Center, University of Massachusetts Boston, and research direc-
tor, Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation,
Community Catalyst, Newton, MA; and Lauren Kovach, Alz-
heimer’s advocate, Brighton, MI.
2020
December 16, 2020—‘‘The Alzheimer’s Crisis: Examining Testing
and Treatment Pipelines and Fiscal Implications.’’ Testimony
was heard from Nikolay Dokholyan, Ph.D., M.S., G. Thomas
Passananti professor and vice chair for research, Pennsylvania
State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; Randall J. Bateman,
M.D., Charles F. and Joanne Knight distinguished professor of
neurology, and director, Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Net-
work (DIAN), DIAN Trials Unit (DIAN–TU), Washington Univer-
sity School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Richard C. Mohs, Ph.D.,
chief scientific officer, Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation,
Chicago, IL; and Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alz-
heimer’s Association, Chicago, IL.
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HUMAN SERVICES
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
In the 116th Congress, the Senate Finance Committee was re-
sponsible for the enactment of significant legislation including child
welfare support, extension of expiring human services programs,
unemployment insurance, and relief to support children and fami-
lies in the child welfare system in relation to the Coronavirus
(COVID–19) pandemic.
On December 20, 2020, the Family First Transition Act was en-
acted as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
(Pub. L. No. 116–94). This law helps States transform their child
welfare systems to keep more children safely at home with their
families. It builds upon foster care reforms made by the 2018 Fam-
ily First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) and helps jurisdictions
have the resources to successfully transition to FFPSA implementa-
tion. The committee also authored the Emergency Aid for Return-
ing Americans Affected by Coronavirus Act (Pub. L. No. 116–148),
which became law on July 13, 2020. This law temporarily raised
the cap for the Department of Health and Human Services repatri-
ation program from $1 million to $10 million for fiscal year 2020
to help individuals brought back to the U.S. as a result of the
COVID–19 pandemic, while ensuring that individuals engaged di-
rectly with those repatriated have proper training and protective
equipment.
The committee also authored several human services policies in-
cluded in legislation to respond to the COVID–19 pandemic. Most
notably, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
(CARES) Act (Pub. L. No. 116–136), which became law on March
27, 2020, included substantial funding for unemployment insurance
(UI) programs to address the needs of millions who lost jobs or who
were otherwise unable to work as a result of COVID–19. The com-
mittee held a hearing to review the implementation of the UI poli-
cies and to discuss the role of UI in responding to the economic ef-
fects of the pandemic.
The committee authored several human services provisions that
became law on December 27, 2020, as part of the Consolidated Ap-
propriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116–260). The bill includes poli-
cies that extend expiring Human Services programs through the
end of fiscal year 2021 and in select cases extends programs for 3
years. It also provided enhanced UI benefits and included the Sup-
porting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act that
provided additional support to children and families in the foster
care system, including transition-age youth impacted by the
COVID–19 pandemic.
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FULL COMMITTEE HEARING
June 9, 2020—‘‘Unemployment Insurance During COVID–19: The
CARES Act and the Role of Unemployment Insurance During
The Pandemic.’’ Testimony was heard from the Honorable Eu-
gene Scalia, Secretary, Department of Labor, Washington, DC;
Scott B. Sanders, executive director, National Association of
State Workforce Agencies, Washington, DC; Beth Townsend, Di-
rector, Iowa Workforce Development, Des Moines, IA; José Javier
Rodrı́guez, State Senator, Florida Senate, Miami, FL; Les Neilly,
president, Neilly Canvas Goods Company, Pittsburgh, PA; and
Michele Evermore, senior researcher and policy analyst, National
Employment Law Project, Washington, DC.
FULL COMMITTEE MEMBER MEETING
July 30, 2019—Meeting to review the status of the Temporary As-
sistance for Needy Families program and opportunities for re-
form. The briefing panel included: Clarence Carter, Director, Of-
fice of Family Assistance, Department of Health and Human
Services, Washington, DC; Gene Falk, Specialist in Social Policy,
Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC; Donna Pavetti,
vice president for family income support, Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities, Washington, DC; and Michelle Derr, senior re-
searcher, Mathematica, Washington, DC.
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SPECIAL PROJECTS
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
During the 116th Congress, the committee focused on child care
challenges facing working parents by convening a bipartisan Paid
Family Leave Working Group.1 After convening a members’ round-
table on this topic during the coronavirus pandemic, the committee
also supported enactment of emergency relief legislation to address
the paid family leave needs of working parents during the national
emergency period.
Also during the 116th Congress, the committee focused on sig-
nificant challenges confronting the elderly and other vulnerable
populations. In 2019, for example, the committee held two hearings
to explore the adequacy of reporting and investigation of abuse, ne-
glect, or exploitation in long-term care facilities that participate in
Federal financing programs within the committee’s jurisdiction.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which
was invited to participate in the first of these two hearings, an-
nounced the same week that the agency would begin making re-
forms to the agency’s Nursing Home Compare website, effective the
following month.2 (The following year, CMS announced that it
would phase out its original Nursing Home Compare tools in favor
of a new, unified Care Compare site, launched in September 2020.
The chairman, by letter dated February 3, 2021, then called for the
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review
of Care Compare to ensure that this new site as well as CMS’s
nursing home rating system fully addresses any previously identi-
fied deficiencies.) At the second hearing, the Finance Committee re-
ceived additional testimony from the U.S. Government Account-
ability Office and others on the need for reforms to promote the de-
tection and reporting of neglect or abuse and thereby enhance the
safety of elderly residents of long-term care facilities. Weeks later,
CMS announced additional sweeping changes to strengthen the
agency’s oversight of nursing home inspections.3
In 2020, committee leaders, joined by Ways and Means Com-
mittee leaders in the other chamber, requested an evaluation, by
the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Health
1 See website of Senator Grassley, ‘‘Grassley, Wyden Convene Finance Committee Paid Family
Leave Working Group’’ (May 22, 2019), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/
grassley-wyden-convene-finance-committee-paid-family-leave-working-group.
2 Website of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), ‘‘CMS Improving Nursing
Home Compare in April 2019; Changes offer greater support to consumers looking to compare
quality of nursing homes’’ (March 5, 2019), https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-
improving-nursing-home-compare-april-2019.
3 CMS website, ‘‘Trump Administration Strengthens Oversight of Nursing Home Inspections
to Keep Patients and Residents Safe; CMS announces enhanced oversight of State inspectors
and the inspection process, responding to growing concerns about consistency and timeliness of
inspections’’ (October 17, 2019), https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-adminis-
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and Human Services (HHS), of psychotropic prescription use in
nursing homes.4 This bipartisan, bicameral request was motivated
by concerns about whether adequate safeguards exist to protect
against these drugs’ unnecessary use in the facilities that partici-
pate in financing programs within the committee’s jurisdiction.
(The last examination of this topic, a 2011 report by the HHS OIG
that followed a request from the chairman, indicated that 14 per-
cent of American nursing home residents had Medicare claims for
these drugs to treat behavioral symptoms commonly associated
with dementia.5 This 2011 report also found that at least half the
Medicare claims for these drugs were erroneous, leading to $116
million in inappropriate Medicare reimbursements.)
During the coronavirus pandemic, the committee chairman again
championed the interests of the mostly frail and elderly residents
of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Recognizing
that these residents were particularly susceptible to the worst ef-
fects of this virus, the chairman voiced concerns to HHS and CMS
officials about COVID–19 testing capacity, inconsistencies in data
tracking, and a lack of personal protective equipment in nursing
homes, among other issues.6 The chairman also encouraged issu-
ance of Federal guidelines for States, to promote uniformity in
tracking and reporting COVID–19 cases in nursing homes. CMS re-
sponded 3 days later by publicly announcing a commitment to ad-
dress most of the concerns outlined in the chairman’s letter of April
17, 2019.7
Committee leaders later called for the issuance by the HHS OIG
of public alerts to ensure that Medicaid recipients who reside in
nursing facilities are not required to hand over, to the facilities in
which they reside, any Economic Impact Payments that these resi-
dents received under legislation adopted by Congress in response
to the coronavirus pandemic.8 In September 2020, the majority
staff of the committee also issued a comprehensive report detailing
the factors that may have fueled the virus’s early transmission in
nursing homes and led to an especially high case and fatality rate
among nursing home residents.9 This majority staff report also
4 Letter from Senate Finance Committee (SFC) Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member
Wyden et al. to Acting Inspector General Christi Grimm, Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) (April 3, 2020), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/
2020-04-06%20CEG,%20RW,%20et%20al%20to%20HHS%20OIG%20(Psychotropic%20Drugs%20
in%20Nursing%20Facilities).pdf.
5 Report by HHS Office of Inspector General, ‘‘Medicare Atypical Antipsychotic Drug Claims
for Elderly Nursing Home Residents’’ (May 2011), available at https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/
oei-07-08-00150.pdf.
6 Letter from Senator Grassley to CMS Administrator Seema Verma (April 17, 2020), available
at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HHSCOVIDLetter17Apr2020Final.pdf (cit-
ing factors, such as the high death toll and infection control failure rate in some nursing homes,
which underscore the importance of ‘‘encouraging coronavirus testing and compliance with CDC
guidelines for reducing COVID–19 transmission in these facilities’’ and ensuring ‘‘that any
Medicaid- and Medicare-funded facilities accepting COVID–19 patients have adequate staffing,
equipment, and other necessary safeguards in place’’).
7 See website of Senator Grassley, ‘‘Grassley Welcomes CMS Action to Require Coronavirus
Reporting in Nursing Homes’’ (April 20, 2020), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-re-
leases/grassley-welcomes-cms-action-require-coronavirus-reporting-nursing-homes.
8 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden to Acting Inspector Gen-
eral Christi Grimm (June 8, 2020), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/
doc/2020-06-08%20CEG,%20Wyden%20to%20HHSOIG%20(Stimulus%20Checks%20in%20
Nursing%20Homes).pdf.
9 Report of SFC Majority Staff, ‘‘COVID–19 in Nursing Homes: What Went Wrong and Next
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Steps’’ (September 2020), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SFC
NursingHomesCOVIDMajorityStaffSFCReport23Sep2020FINAL.pdf. See also website of Senator
Grassley, ‘‘Finance Committee Releases Report on Performance of Nursing Homes and Long-
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21
highlighted best practices adopted by some nursing homes to limit
the spread of COVID–19 among the personnel and residents of
these facilities.
Also in 2020, the Finance Committee chairman unveiled a pro-
posal to make resources available for strike teams to support nurs-
ing homes that were overwhelmed by the pandemic and extend
Elder Justice Act programs. The chairman later led a group of col-
leagues in calling on Senate leaders to make resources available for
these same programs (as well as related initiatives to reduce social
isolation among nursing home residents) as part of a year-end
coronavirus relief package.10
The committee also explored challenges facing those struggling
with addiction, for example, by conducting a Finance Committee
hearing on the 1-year anniversary of the enactment of the SUP-
PORT for Patients and Communities Act. At this hearing, the Sur-
geon General described ongoing efforts to implement the statute’s
provisions to combat the national opioid crisis, while other wit-
nesses testified to instances of addiction treatment fraud in a grow-
ing number of States. In a letter to senior officials at HHS and
CMS, the committee chairman also pressed for full implementation
of strategies recommended by the Government Accountability Of-
fice to prevent opioid misuse and abuse in programs within the
committee’s jurisdiction.11
In another letter to these same HHS and CMS officials, the com-
mittee chairman requested information on why other recommended
reforms to improve the accountability of certain mental health
grant programs had yet to be implemented.12 (This September
2019 letter from the chairman followed the issuance by GAO of two
reports that cited deficiencies in tracking and evaluating the use of
grant funding.) Among other requests, the chairman sought a list
of the Department’s crisis intervention programs designed to pre-
vent acts of violence as well as each program’s purpose and the
amount of funding each receives. This letter also requested that the
Department describe metrics used to evaluate certain grantees’
performance and provide additional information on the Depart-
ment’s process for evaluating program performance.
The chairman also made it a priority, during the 116th Congress,
to champion initiatives to promote the accountability of, and there-
by prevent waste, fraud, or abuse in, Federal programs that serve
vulnerable populations within the committee’s jurisdiction. For ex-
ample, in 2019 the chairman revived the committee’s 2004 efforts
to identify misspent Medicaid dollars (an area of longstanding con-
Term Care Facilities During the COVID–19 Pandemic’’ (last visited October 2020), available at
https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/finance-committee-releases-report-on-perform-
ance-of-nursing-homes-and-long-term-care-facilities-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.
10 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley, Senator Daines, et al. to Senate Leaders McConnell
and Schumer (December 18, 2020), available at https://www.grassley.senate.gov/sites/default/
files/2020-12-18%20CEG%20et%20al%20to%20McConnell%2C%20Schumer%20-%20Televisita
tion.pdf.
11 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS Administrator
Seema Verma (June 6, 2019), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/
2019-06-06%20CEG%20to%20HHS,%20CMS%20(Opioid%20Misuse%20Strategy).pdf. See also
website of Senator Grassley, ‘‘Grassley Presses HHS, CMS on Federal Strategies to Combat
Opioid Abuse’’ (June 6, 2019), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-
presses-hhs-cms-federal-strategies-combat-opioid-abuse.
12 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley to HHS Secretary Alex Azar (September 3, 2019),
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available at https://www.grassley.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2018-09-03%20CEG
%20to%20HHS%20-%20SAMHSA%20Grant%20Oversight.pdf.
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22
cern, because every misspent dollar weakens this program for the
tens of millions of low-income individuals and persons with disabil-
ities who rely on Medicaid for preventive care, lifesaving health
services, and other services to promote independent living). The
majority staff of the committee unearthed government audits that
cited recurring instances of improper Medicaid payments for de-
ceased beneficiaries—in some cases, for as long as 2 years after the
beneficiary’s death.
After finding that multiple State agencies charged with distrib-
uting Medicaid dollars have yet to fully institute an adequate
mechanism to prevent Federal benefits from flowing on behalf of
deceased Medicaid beneficiaries, the chairman called on the CMS
Administrator to exercise greater leadership in this area, by insti-
tuting ‘‘reforms to prevent, rather than simply recoup, wasteful
Medicaid payments.’’13 As noted in the chairman’s October 2019
letter:
For example, CMS should revisit and possibly upgrade its ex-
isting tools for preventing Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse.
The agency should identify new tools, in addition to its most
recent informational bulletin, to help States identify providers
or managed care organizations that submit high numbers of
improper Medicaid claims that received managed care pay-
ments from States for the deceased. CMS also should promote
the adoption of protocols or policies to ensure that State Med-
icaid agencies can quickly and efficiently compare Medicaid
payment claims against death records kept by other State or
Federal agencies.
Restoring fiscal integrity to this and other Federal programs
under the committee’s jurisdiction is a continuing and vitally im-
portant task for the committee to fulfill, in the effort to safeguard
Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars and ensure the effective imple-
mentation of government programs.
Early in 2019, the committee chairman also led a group of over
20 Senators in questioning the adequacy of a new national process
for allocating human livers that are donated for transplant.14 The
chairman later expanded his efforts in this area, focusing attention
not only on organ allocation, but also on organ donation and pro-
curement. The committee ultimately launched a comprehensive re-
view of the entire organ procurement and transplantation system.
This bipartisan effort, led by the chairman with other committee
members, has focused on the adequacy of efforts by the govern-
ment’s contractor, known as the United Network for Organ Sharing
(UNOS), to oversee and ensure the accountability of the Nation’s
organ donation and procurement process, which is led by 58 organ
procurement organizations (OPOs) across the United States.
The chairman in December 2019 requested that the HHS OIG,
which had conducted audits of selected OPOs, provide the com-
13 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley to CMS Administrator Seema Verma (October 1, 2019),
available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/MedicaidOversightLetter1Oct.2019
SpecProjects%20-%20FINAL%20430PM.pdf.
14 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley, Senator Blunt, et al. to HHS Secretary Azar (January
19, 2019), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CEG%20Liver%20Letter
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%20Signed%20FINAL.pdf. See also website of Senate Finance Committee (last visited December
30, 2020), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/grassley-blunt-20-sen-
ate-colleagues-demand-answers-on-changes-to-national-liver-distribution-policy.
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23
mittee with additional details relating to its audit report findings.
(These HHS OIG audit reports cited unallowable and inappropriate
uses of Medicare funds for certain OPO expenses.) 15 Committee
leaders in February 2020 also sent an initial letter to UNOS re-
questing information and documents on UNOS activities.16 The
committee later determined that issuance of a subpoena compelling
production of UNOS documents related to the committee’s inves-
tigation was necessary, and on February 3, 2021, the chairman
issued such a subpoena to UNOS with the support of the commit-
tee’s ranking member. UNOS has indicated that it will comply with
the subpoena. This investigation is ongoing.
During consideration of H.R. 133, an omnibus spending package
enacted in December 2020, this committee’s leaders worked with
Ways and Means Committee leaders in the other chamber to cham-
pion the inclusion of $100 million in emergency funding for elder
justice initiatives. Committee leaders in both chambers also pushed
for inclusion, in a December 2020 continuing resolution, of legisla-
tion that will promote transparency in government, by requiring
CMS to furnish information, upon request, to certain non-group
health plans (e.g., liability insurers), about whether an individual
was enrolled in Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or the Medicare
prescription drug benefit during the preceding 3-year period.
FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS
2019
March 6, 2019—‘‘Not Forgotten: Protecting Americans From Abuse
and Neglect in Nursing Homes.’’ Testimony was heard from Pa-
tricia Blank, daughter of nursing home neglect victim, Shell
Rock, IA; Maya Fischer, daughter of nursing home abuse victim,
Seminole, FL; David Grabowski, Ph.D., professor, Harvard Med-
ical School, Boston, MA; David Gifford, M.D., MPH, senior vice
president, quality and regulatory affairs, American Health Care
Association, Washington, DC; Kate Goodrich, M.D., Director,
Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, and Chief Medical Of-
ficer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore,
MD; Antoinette Bacon, Associate Deputy Attorney General and
National Elder Justice Coordinator, Office of the Deputy Attor-
ney General, Department of Justice, Washington, DC; and
Keesha Mitchell, Director, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Office of
the Ohio Attorney General, Columbus, OH.
July 23, 2019—‘‘Promoting Elder Justice: A Call for Reform.’’ Testi-
mony was heard from Megan H. Tinker, Senior Advisor for Legal
Affairs, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General, Department
of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC; John E. Dicken,
Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office, Wash-
ington, DC; Robert B. Blancato, national coordinator, Elder Jus-
15 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley and Senator Young to HHS Acting Inspector General
Christi Grimm (December 18, 2019), available at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/
doc/CEG.Young%20to%20HHSOIG%20(OPO%20Oversight)%20Dec.18.2019.pdf.
16 Letter from SFC Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Wyden, et al., to Brian Shepard,
Chief Executive Officer of United Network for Organ Sharing (February 10, 2020), available at
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https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2020-02-10%20Grassley,%20Wyden,%20Young,
%20Cardin%20to%20UNOS%20(Information%20Request%20on%20Organ%20Transplant%20Sy
stem).pdf.
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24
tice Coalition, Washington, DC; the Honorable Mark Parkinson,
president and chief executive officer, American Health Care As-
sociation, Washington, DC; and Lori Smetanka, executive direc-
tor, National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care,
Washington, DC.
October 24, 2019—‘‘Treating Substance Misuse in America: Scams,
Shortfalls, and Solutions.’’ Testimony was heard from the Honor-
able Jerome M. Adams, M.D., MPH, Surgeon General, Office of
the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services,
Washington, DC; Mary Denigan-Macauley, Ph.D., Director,
Health Care, Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC;
Gary Cantrell, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, Of-
fice of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human
Services, Washington, DC; and Gary Mendell, founder and chief
executive officer, Shatterproof, New York, NY.
FULL COMMITTEE MEMBER MEETING
BI-PARTISAN WORKING GROUP ON PAID FAMILY LEAVE
June 18, 2020—Roundtable on ‘‘Paid Leave Proposals in the
COVID Era.’’
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OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
Health Care
In 2019, the committee held a series of oversight hearings fo-
cused on drug pricing in America. The committee invited patients,
parents, pharmaceutical company executives, and pharmacy benefit
managers to identify reforms that will help drive down the high
cost of prescription drugs.
Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden have long
raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the pharma-
ceutical industry. In the past, their oversight work led to the rev-
elation that Mylan, the manufacturer of EpiPen, misclassified its
popular anti-allergy medication as a generic instead of a brand
name and took advantage of a loophole in Medicaid to overcharge
taxpayers for the drug by as much as $1.27 billion over 10 years.
In 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden intro-
duced the Right Rebate Act to close the loophole. The legislation
also provided the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) with additional authorities to monitor drug manufacturers,
imposed reporting and transparency requirements on the govern-
ment to show how its authorities are used, and allowed the Sec-
retary of HHS to reclassify drugs and impose civil monetary pen-
alties when drugs are knowingly misclassified. The legislation was
signed into law in April 2019.
Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden partnered on a
bipartisan investigation into insulin prices. In February 2019, they
sent letters to leading insulin manufacturers, Sanofi, Novo Nor-
disk, and Eli Lilly, seeking information regarding recent price in-
creases of up to 500 percent or more for insulin, a treatment avail-
able for diabetes for nearly 100 years. The letter requested infor-
mation about list price increases, changes in the net price (i.e., the
price pharmaceutical companies received after negotiating rebates
and discounts), copies of internal memoranda, correspondence, and
rebate agreements with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). In
April 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden also
sent letters to the three largest PBMs, CVS Caremark, OptumRx,
and Express Scripts, inquiring about their role in the U.S.’s drug
pricing system and how their pricing practices contribute to the ris-
ing cost of insulin. The letter focused on rebates and other con-
tracting practices used by PBMs and health insurers because these
terms are not transparent to patients, payers, or Congress. The
chairman and ranking member issued their report and findings in
January 2021.
In April 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden
also jointly began investigations of companies in their home States
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26
that provide services to adults with intellectual and developmental
disabilities (I/DD). In December 2020, they released two investiga-
tive reports regarding the performance and efficacy of providers
REM Iowa and MENTOR Oregon, which receive significant Federal
funding through Medicaid to provide care for individuals with
I/DD. The committee’s review of REM Iowa found that the com-
pany has had and continues to face problems, including failures to
report abuse or neglect, failures to follow an individual’s particular
care plan, and failures to adhere to clients’ medication schedules.
The committee’s report made three specific recommendations to
REM Iowa: improve training practices for employees, improve ac-
cess to data, and establish a process to track and monitor critical
incidents using electronic databases. The committee’s report also
recommended that the Federal and State Governments improve
oversight, outreach, and support for facilities facing systemic
issues.
The MENTOR Oregon report highlighted the fact that despite
years of regulatory attention, the company has not turned the cor-
ner regarding the level of care provided to its clients. Insufficient
staff training, failure to complete incident reports, substantiated
acts of neglect, not meeting clients’ medical needs, and poor facility
conditions have forced the Oregon Department of Human Serv-
ices—and county-level entities—to take increased measures.
The Finance Committee also conducted an investigation of non-
profit hospitals. In 2019, Chairman Grassley requested specific in-
formation from the IRS regarding its oversight of nonprofit hos-
pitals, after media reports emerged on this subject questioning
whether these hospitals met the criteria for tax-exempt status,
whether they served their communities appropriately, and whether
they served individuals in need regardless of ability to pay. Grass-
ley later sent letters to the University of Virginia Health System
and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, TN, requesting
information about their billing and debt-collection practices with
respect to low-income patients. On December 2, 2020, Chairman
Grassley wrote a letter to every member of the Senate Finance and
Judiciary Committees about the need for new attention to the tax
laws governing non-profit hospitals.
Taxes
In 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden
opened an investigation into syndicated conservation-easement
transactions, which are transactions that may abuse charitable
conservation tax incentives in order to facilitate tax shelters.
In August 2020, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member
Wyden concluded their investigation and released a report, finding
such syndicated transactions are ‘‘nothing more than retail tax
shelters that let taxpayers buy tax deductions at the end of any
given year, . . . which thousands of taxpayers used to game the tax
code and deprive the Federal Government of billions of dollars in
revenue.’’ It concluded that ‘‘the IRS has strong reason for taking
enforcement action against syndicated conservation-easement
transactions as it has to date’’ and called on Congress, the IRS, and
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the Department of the Treasury to take further action to preserve
the integrity of the conservation-easement tax deduction.
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27
To that end, Chairman Grassley joined Senators Steve Daines
(R–Mont.) and Pat Roberts (R–Kan.) in reintroducing the Chari-
table Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, which will
protect conservation easements from abuse, save taxpayers billions
of dollars, and promote conservation around the country. In Decem-
ber 2020, Senator Grassley and Senator Daines joined Senator
Wyden (D–Ore.) and Senator Stabenow (D–Mich.) in introducing
similar legislation that would serve the same conservation pur-
poses.
Trade
In 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden
partnered on a bipartisan investigation into counterfeit goods sold
online and then issued a report, ‘‘The Fight Against Fakes,’’ which
detailed five findings and two legislative recommendations. Their
report outlined the harm posed to consumers by counterfeits and
discussed statutory barriers that prevent information sharing be-
tween the Federal Government and its private industry partners
with respect to counterfeit goods seized and/or detained at U.S.
ports of entry.
Tax-Exempts
In June 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden
conducted an investigation into the financial relationship between
opioid manufacturers and tax-exempt organizations. They sent let-
ters to 10 tax-exempt organizations, seeking to understand how
pharmaceutical manufacturers’ donations to these organizations af-
fected their advocacy for specific pain treatment strategies. In De-
cember 2020, the chairman and ranking member released a letter
to colleagues and a report detailing their findings.
Based on financial data collected for this investigation, the report
found that, between 1997 and 2019, opioid manufacturers paid over
$65 million dollars to tax-exempt organizations as part of a strat-
egy to market and sell their opioids products. The report also cre-
ated case studies for three organizations, including the American
Chronic Pain Association, Americans for Patient Access, and the
International Association for the Study of Pain. These organiza-
tions, their officers, and their board members received millions of
dollars from manufacturers of opioids and opioid-related products
while promoting increased use of their donor’s products. Many of
these board members also serve on Federal advisory boards and
make recommendations to the public and policy-makers on opioids
and opioids prescribing practices.
Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden urged their col-
leagues to consider expanding the Open Payments database to re-
quire opioid manufacturers to report payments made to non-profit
organizations as well as to increase transparency in Federal advi-
sory boards.
In 2019, Ranking Member Wyden issued a staff report after an
18-month investigation into the National Rifle Association that re-
vealed NRA leaders inappropriately leveraged the organization’s
resources and political connections in pursuit of lucrative overseas
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personal business deals. In its 2019 990 tax filing, the NRA ac-
knowledged that its officers had engaged in at least $1.4 million in
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28
prohibited excess benefit transactions with the true total unknown,
pending the outcome of lawsuits against the organization by the
Attorneys General of New York and the District of Columbia.
Chairman Grassley issued an accompanying majority staff re-
port, which found no wrongdoing by the NRA or its officials for
having traveled to Russia in December 2015 that would reasonably
call into question the NRA’s tax-exempt status, based on the docu-
ments provided to the committee. The majority staff found that a
handful of NRA officials may have turned a goodwill trip to Russia
into multipurpose travel, tending to both an invitation by Russians
to NRA personnel as well as their own professional matters during
the same trip. The majority staff also concluded there is nothing
wrong with taking a trip with two purposes in mind, even if one
of those purposes involves a tax-exempt organization.
Pandemic Relief
The coronavirus pandemic that spread throughout the United
States in 2020 created a pressing need for oversight. In February
2020, Chairman Grassley’s staff received a classified briefing from
the HHS Office of National Security (ONS) regarding the corona-
virus threat and the status of U.S. Government efforts to combat
the spread of the deadly virus. On June 2, 2020, the committee
held a hearing titled, ‘‘COVID–19 and Beyond: Oversight of the
FDA’s Foreign Drug Manufacturing Inspection Process.’’ The hear-
ing was based on Chairman Grassley’s oversight work on the FDA’s
foreign drug manufacturing facility inspection process and high-
lighted the risks associated with drugs manufactured in foreign
countries, especially China, and imported to the United States. At
the hearing, Chairman Grassley introduced into the committee
record thousands of pages of records that he acquired during his
FDA investigation relating to China- and India-based drug manu-
facturing facilities.
In order to help protect against waste, fraud, and abuse during
the pandemic, Chairman Grassley wrote to the U.S. Treasury In-
spector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) encouraging the
IRS watchdog to engage in a public awareness and education cam-
paign informing Americans of scams and frauds related to the on-
going coronavirus pandemic and the Federal Government’s re-
sponse. Chairman Grassley also partnered with Senator Amy Klo-
buchar (D–Minn.) in calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to
take vigorous action to protect consumers from price-gouging dur-
ing the pandemic and help prevent the hoarding of essential med-
ical supplies.
On May 24, 2020, Chairman Grassley urged the U.S. intelligence
community to further incorporate and provide intelligence access to
the Department of Health and Human Services Office of National
Security (ONS) to strengthen the governmental response to the
COVID–19 public health crisis and future health concerns. In re-
sponse, the Intelligence Community committed to ensuring better
cooperation.
In 2020, Chairman Grassley and a bipartisan group of Senators
also introduced legislation to ensure families of public safety offi-
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cers lost to COVID–19 could quickly access survivor benefits. The
Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR), which was
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29
referred to the Judiciary Committee, clarified the certification re-
quirements for survivor benefits under the Public Safety Officers
Benefits Program to account for the unique challenges presented by
the pandemic. In August 2020, President Trump signed the bill
into law.
Chairman Grassley also led a bipartisan group of Senators in in-
troducing legislation to boost oversight of billions in taxpayer-
funded pandemic relief. Referred to the Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs Committee, The Special Inspector General for Pan-
demic Recovery Expedited Hiring Authority Act, which was mod-
elled on laws that granted expedited hiring authority to special IGs
in the past, would provide the SIGPR temporary hiring authority
to bypass the normally lengthy government hiring process, quickly
staff his office, and begin timely oversight operations.
National Security
On June 5, 2019, the Finance Committee held a hearing on for-
eign threats to taxpayer-funded research titled ‘‘Foreign Threats to
Taxpayer-Funded Research: Oversight Opportunities and Policy So-
lutions.’’ That same day, Chairman Grassley held a classified
member-level briefing on the same subject. In addition to his in-
quiries to DoD, Chairman Grassley also pressed the National
Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Health and
Human Services Inspector General, Justice Department, and Gov-
ernment Accountability Office on foreign threats to taxpayer-
funded research. Chairman Grassley also worked to get the Office
of National Security, located within HHS, access to additional gov-
ernment databases necessary to track and counter these threats.
ONS gained access to some additional classified databases as a re-
sult of those oversight efforts.
On June 10, 2019, Senator Grassley and Senator Marco Rubio
(R–Fla.) wrote to the Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) to request a review of
whether CMS made payments for genetic testing to U.S. entities
with ties to the Chinese Government. The letter also asked about
whether CMS considers national security risks when determining
whether payments to entities linked to the Chinese Government
are permissible. The HHS OIG agreed to perform a review of
whether CMS considers national security risks before certifying
laboratories that conduct genomic testing.
Human Services
The Finance Committee conducted an investigation of the HHS
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to examine serious allega-
tions of misconduct and abuse by federally funded grantees oper-
ating facilities that house unaccompanied migrant children. On
May 9, 2019, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden
wrote a letter to Assistant Secretary Lynn Johnson raising con-
cerns about the severity and systemic nature of allegations against
these taxpayer-funded grantees and whether ORR was meeting its
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responsibility to hold its grantees accountable and ensure the
health and safety of children in their care.
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In addition, Senator Grassley undertook several additional
oversight efforts, as follows:
Defense
During the 116th Congress, Chairman Grassley also investigated
wasteful spending by the Department of Defense (DoD). In May
2019, Chairman Grassley sent a letter to then-Acting Secretary of
Defense Patrick M. Shanahan seeking details about how the DoD
contracts with businesses and other entities with respect to over-
pricing, specifically citing TransDigm Group Inc. (Transdigm). Ad-
ditionally, Chairman Grassley asked about the DoD’s ability to col-
lect cost data from those entities and how Congress can help DoD
stop price-gouging practices. In October 2019, the Chairman sent
a follow-up letter to Ellen M. Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment, seeking an update on how DoD was
confronting TransDigm’s costly price-gouging schemes. Committee
staff then continued to work with DoD IG throughout 2020 to make
sure the DoD IG’s second audit of TransDigm contracts was rig-
orous and thorough.
Chairman Grassley also conducted oversight of DoD’s Office of
Net Assessment (ONA). In a July 2019 letter, Chairman Grassley
pressed ONA for information regarding allegations that contracts
granted to Professor Stefan Halper were used to support potential
partisan political or other improper or wasteful activities. A DoD
Inspector General audit revealed significant flaws in ONA’s con-
tract management practices.
Additional documents reviewed by Chairman Grassley called into
question ONA’s stewardship of taxpayer dollars as well as its con-
tract management and internal controls. The Pentagon issued a
corrective action plan for ONA in August 2020. On December 18,
2020, Chairman Grassley sent a letter urging DoD IG to expand its
review of ONA to determine why the office has not performed it’s
statutorily mandated duty to perform a formal net assessment
since 2007 and whether the office is still necessary in light of these
revelations.
Separately, on January 23, 2020, Chairman Grassley sought an
Inspector General investigation into the manufacturing practices of
Lockheed Martin’s C–130J aircraft after whistleblower reports stat-
ed that an apparent lack of oversight by the Department of Defense
resulted in significant health and safety concerns. On October 8,
2020, Chairman Grassley sought additional information from the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding
the manufacturing practices of Lockheed Martin’s C–130J after
learning of discrepancies in the initial investigation.
In 2020, Chairman Grassley also pressed the DoD on the new
Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) program regarding
alleged conflicts of interest pertaining to those charged with cre-
ating its bid and reported disputes between bidders and the De-
partment. This came after the DoD Inspector General completed a
review and provided recommendations in response to Chairman
Grassley and members of Congress raising concerns about the
JEDI program.
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In 2020, Chairman Grassley and others sent a letter to the
House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging them to in-
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31
clude in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal
year 2021 certain provisions that would make progress towards a
clean audit, including more detailed reporting to Congress on DoD
financial management systems. Both of the provisions were ulti-
mately included in the final version of the NDAA passed in Decem-
ber 2020.
In 2020, Chairman Grassley also made inquiries into potential
wasteful and inappropriate travel spending at the Department of
Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), specifically seeking full and
complete answers to prior questions he had raised about multiple
unnecessary trips by DoDEA personnel to Hawaii.
Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation
Throughout the 116th Congress, Chairman Grassley and Chair-
man Ron Johnson (R–Wis.), who chaired the Senate Homeland Se-
curity Committee, engaged in oversight activity with respect to
Crossfire Hurricane and its origins. The DOJ Inspector General
conducted an investigation into portions of Crossfire Hurricane and
issued a nearly 500-page report. The report determined the dossier
to be central and essential to the Justice Department’s and FBI’s
efforts to obtain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) war-
rant applications with one FBI General Counsel Unit Chief stating
that with respect to finding probable cause the dossier ‘‘pushed it
over’’ the line. The Inspector General determined that the FBI’s
FISA applications included at least 17 errors and omissions. After
further reviewing the DOJ OIG report on Crossfire Hurricane,
Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson then sent Barr a
follow-up letter requesting the declassification of four footnotes in
the classified version of the Inspector General report. Those foot-
notes were later declassified. On April 2, 2020, Chairmen Grassley
and Johnson requested that the Director of National Intelligence,
Ambassador Richard Grenell, declassify additional footnotes from
the classified version of the report. Additional footnotes were later
declassified.
On April 25, 2019, Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson
wrote to the DOJ about allegations the FBI may have improperly
used a counterintelligence briefing to conduct surveillance on the
Trump transition team during Crossfire Hurricane. The Senators’
letter inquired about the extent of the FBI’s surveillance of the
Trump campaign and transition staff. Subsequently, in its review
of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation, the DOJ OIG found
that an FBI Supervisory Special Agent did attend certain counter-
intelligence briefings for 2016 presidential candidates and that at
least one briefing was used for investigative purposes. The OIG
found that DOJ and FBI did not have a policy with respect to using
candidate counterintelligence briefings for investigative purposes;
however, after the report issued, the FBI established new protocols
that prohibited those briefings from being used for investigative
purposes.
In October 2019, Chairman Grassley again joined Chairman
Johnson in sending a letter to Attorney General Barr, calling for
transparency in the reported DOJ criminal inquiry into the origins
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of the Russia investigation. On October 2, 2019, Chairman Grass-
ley also sent a letter to the Intelligence Community Inspector Gen-
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32
eral (IC IG) regarding a number of leaks of highly sensitive infor-
mation relating to the Russia investigation, as well as a whistle-
blower complaint that led to Trump’s impeachment.
As part of his effort to bring transparency to the events sur-
rounding the FBI’s investigation and surveillance of the Trump
campaign and transition, on May 12, 2020, Chairman Grassley and
Chairman Johnson requested a list of Obama-era officials who un-
masked Lieutenant General Michael Flynn’s name in classified in-
telligence documents where it had previously been redacted. In re-
sponse, the Intelligence Community provided a list that identified
nearly two dozen senior government officials, including then-Vice
President Biden, who requested to unmask Flynn. News reports
have indicated that the DOJ’s unmasking review found no wrong-
doing; however, DOJ has not formally communicated its findings to
Congress.
On October 14, 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson
sent another letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director
of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe seeking an unredacted
version of a spreadsheet created by the FBI to attempt to corrobo-
rate allegations made in the Steele Dossier.
In October 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson also
released a majority staff report raising concerns about how the FBI
and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Office sought and received
access to the records of Donald J. Trump’s presidential transition
team, Trump for America, Inc.
In September 2020, Chairman Grassley pressed DOJ for details
on steps taken to recover material deleted from mobile devices as-
signed to Mueller’s team and investigate potential violations of
Federal record-keeping laws.
In November 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson
received a partially declassified version of briefing notes for then-
Director James Comey summarizing the FBI’s investigative efforts
regarding Crossfire Hurricane. After receipt, the chairmen sent a
follow-up letter to Barr requesting full declassification.
On December 3, 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chairman John-
son released over 400 pages of records acquired from the DOJ, FBI,
and State Department during their investigation into the FBI’s
handling of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
On December 17, 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chairman John-
son released declassified messages from former FBI agent Peter
Strzok related to Crossfire Hurricane.
Chairman Grassley also conducted oversight of DOJ’s enforce-
ment of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). On June 18,
2019, Chairman Grassley and other Senators wrote to DOJ to ask
why it had not required Al Jazeera to register as a foreign agent
under FARA. In November 2020, Chairman Grassley asked the
Justice Department to evaluate whether Hunter and James Biden
should have registered as foreign agents for their business arrange-
ments with the Chinese Government-backed energy company,
CEFC China Energy, in compliance with FARA.
During 2019 and 2020, Chairman Grassley and Senator Mark
Warner (D–Va.) continued to investigate the fatal shooting of Bijan
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Ghaisar by U.S. Park Police in 2017. In June 2019, Grassley and
Warner decried the opaque and drawn-out nature of the review in
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33
letters to both the FBI and National Park Service (NPS). The DOJ
then announced its decision not to pursue action against the U.S.
Park Police officers who shot and killed Ghaisar. Throughout 2020,
Chairman Grassley continued to press the DOJ to provide details
on specific reforms being implemented to improve investigations of
fatal shootings.
Education
In 2019, Chairman Grassley sent letters to the presidents of
Duke University, Harvard University, Sarah Lawrence College,
and Villanova University, seeking information on the current cul-
ture of academic freedom on campus. In October 2020, Chairman
Grassley followed up by sending a letter to his colleagues dis-
cussing the responses of those colleges and universities.
Chairman Grassley also conducted extensive oversight work re-
lating to the Chinese Government-backed Confucius Institutes and
urged colleges and universities around the country to request FBI
briefings to fully understand the academic research and national
security threats posed by the organizations operating on campuses.
In addition, Chairman Grassley was a co-sponsor and strong sup-
porter of the Concerns Over Nations Funding University Campus
Institutes in the United States (CONFUCIUS) Act, which passed
the Senate in July 2020.
Good Government and Transparency
In 2019, following complaints from dozens of whistleblowers,
Chairman Grassley began investigating whistleblower allegations
of low morale, low productivity, and staff departures at the Depart-
ment of Commerce Office of Inspector General. During the inves-
tigation, which also included the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation, as well as the Senate Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, dozens of current
and former staff for the Department of Commerce Office of the In-
spector General spoke with committee staff. Chairman Grassley
wrote multiple public letters which brought public attention to the
IG’s significant management challenges.
In the spring of 2020, Chairman Grassley objected to the remov-
als of the Intelligence Community Inspector General and the State
Department Inspector General, after President Trump removed
each without providing substantive reasons to Congress as required
by statute. Chairman Grassley introduced bipartisan legislation,
the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2020, referred
to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to
amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to provide that the Presi-
dent or certain agency heads may remove an Inspector General, or
place an Inspector General on non-duty status, only if certain con-
ditions are satisfied.
On April 14, 2020, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member
Wyden wrote to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael
Horowitz, in his role as Chair of the Council of Inspectors General
on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), regarding CIGIE’s role in the
Inspector General nominating process. They inquired about the
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CIGIE recommendation process, the consistency of its advice to the
White House, the rate at which its advice is taken by the White
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34
House, and how often CIGIE has expressed concerns about IG va-
cancies.
Additionally, Chairman Grassley partnered with Senator Maggie
Hassan (D–N.H.) to introduce bipartisan legislation to increase
transparency and accountability within the Federal Government.
The Oversight.gov Authorization Act, referred to the Homeland Se-
curity and Governmental Affairs Committee, would formally au-
thorize the establishment and maintenance of a website to help the
public more easily access reports that have been generated by the
independent work of Inspectors General.
On August 14, 2019, Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson,
who chaired the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs, publicly released a Majority Staff Memo and all
supporting documentation regarding an investigation into whether
China hacked Hillary Clinton’s non-government server.
The committee also conducted an investigation into potential con-
flicts of interest involving the Biden family. Chairman Grassley
wrote a letter to the Department of Treasury on August 14, 2019,
regarding potential conflicts of interest with respect to Obama ad-
ministration policy relating to the Henniges transaction. During
the Obama administration, the Committee on Foreign Investment
in the United States approved a transaction that gave control over
Henniges, an American maker of anti-vibration technologies with
military applications, to a Chinese Government-owned aviation
company and a China-based investment firm with established ties
to the Chinese Government. One of the companies involved in the
transaction is linked to Hunter Biden. Then, on November 6, 2019,
Chairman Grassley and Chairman Johnson wrote to the State De-
partment regarding actual or apparent conflicts of interest between
then-Vice President Biden and U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine
in light of Hunter Biden’s position on the board of directors of a
Ukrainian natural gas firm that was under investigation for cor-
ruption while then-Vice President Biden was the public face of the
Obama administration’s Ukraine policy. As part of the investiga-
tion, Chairman Grassley sent numerous requests for information to
the Department of State and the National Archives, among other
agencies, and conducted several transcribed interviews of relevant
witnesses. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Com-
mittee also served a subpoena for records on Blue Star Strategies,
a consulting firm representing Burisma, which that committee au-
thorized. On September 23, 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chair-
man Johnson released a report on that investigation, titled ‘‘Hunter
Biden, Burisma, and Corruption: The Impact on U.S. Government
Policy and Related Concerns,’’ summarizing its findings. On the
same day, the minority issued a staff report, titled ‘‘Election Inter-
ference: Majority Investigation Amplifies Russian Attack on 2020
Election.’’ On September 29, 2020, Chairman Grassley gave a floor
speech disputing the minority’s characterization of his oversight
work. On November 18, 2020, Chairman Grassley and Chairman
Johnson released a supplemental report based on additional infor-
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mation that came to light on this topic.
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Housing
In 2019, Chairman Grassley requested information from the De-
partment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) about over-
sight of Federal spending by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and
delays in implementing reforms that HUD has pledged to imple-
ment. Over 3,300 PHAs across the country receive millions of dol-
lars in the annual congressional appropriations process. These
funds are appropriated to support housing for low-income house-
holds. Chairman Grassley raised concerns that many PHAs—in-
cluding the country’s largest—use a portion of those funds to cover
‘‘fees’’ for property management and other services to the housing
projects they operate.
Immigration
During the 116th Congress, Chairman Grassley also continued
his oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’s implemen-
tation of the Nation’s immigration laws. Chairman Grassley contin-
ued his oversight of F–1 visa fraud in 2020 by pressing DHS about
the steps it is taking to crack down on fraudulent companies pro-
viding fake employment offers to foreign students seeking to extend
their F–1 visas and remain in the U.S. after graduation.
Law Enforcement
In 2019, Chairman Grassley introduced the Protecting America’s
First Responders Act, referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee,
which would update the definition of disability to ensure that offi-
cers who are permanently unable to secure meaningful gainful em-
ployment following a catastrophic injury in the line of duty remain
eligible for benefits. This bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Com-
mittee and also passed the full Senate. Grassley had previously
sent a letter to Attorney General Barr raising concerns about this
program.
Human Rights
In 2019, Chairman Grassley wrote to the World Bank to request
a briefing on a $50-million loan provided to an organization associ-
ated with the forcible internment of Chinese Uighur Muslims, a
population that has experienced grave human rights violations at
the hands of the communist Chinese Government.
Whistleblower Protections
In 2019, Chairman Grassley sent a letter to DoD Secretary Mark
Esper, urging action on DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) rec-
ommendations regarding cases of whistleblower retaliation. Chair-
man Grassley also joined his colleagues, Chairman Johnson and
Senator Mike Lee (R–Utah) in sending a letter to the Inspector
General of the Intelligence Community, Michael Atkinson, to push
for answers related to the intelligence community’s decision to
change requirements for whistleblowers seeking to report ‘‘urgent
concerns’’ to Congress.
In 2019, Chairman Grassley also introduced the Whistleblower
Programs Improvement Act of 2019, referred to the Agriculture,
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Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. This legislation is a response
to the Supreme Court’s decision in Digital Realty v. Somers, in
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36
which the Court ruled that a whistleblower who reports violations
of the Nation’s securities laws is protected from retaliation only
when he or she discloses wrongdoing directly to the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). The bill makes clear that internal
disclosures should be protected under the SEC program and
strengthened other whistleblower protections for whistleblowers
working in a variety of key sectors, including the securities and
commodities industries and the Foreign Service.
In 2020, Chairman Grassley introduced the CFTC Fund Manage-
ment Act, referred to the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Com-
mittee. This legislation includes important updates to the Com-
modity Futures Trading Commission’s highly successful whistle-
blower program, including an increase to the statutory cap for the
fund used to pay whistleblower awards and new audit require-
ments designed to increase transparency.
To honor the critical role played by whistleblowers in promoting
good governance and effective oversight, Chairman Grassley also
introduced resolutions designating July 30, 2019, and July 30,
2020, as ‘‘National Whistleblower Appreciation Day.’’ Both resolu-
tions passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS
2019
June 5, 2019—‘‘Foreign Threats to Taxpayer-Funded Research:
Oversight Opportunities and Policy Solutions.’’ Testimony was
heard from Captain Michael Schmoyer, Ph.D., Assistant Deputy
Secretary for National Security and Director, Office of National
Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Wash-
ington, DC; Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., Principal Deputy
Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; Leslie W.
Hollie, Chef of Investigative Operations, Office of Inspector Gen-
eral, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington,
DC; Louis A. Rodi III, Deputy Assistant Director, National Secu-
rity Investigations Division, Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC; and
Joe W. Gray, Ph.D., Gordon Moore chair of biomedical engineer-
ing and associate director for biophysical oncology, Knight Can-
cer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland,
OR.
2020
June 2, 2020—‘‘COVID–19 and Beyond: Oversight of the FDA’s
Foreign Drug Manufacturing Inspection Process.’’ Testimony was
heard from Mark Abdoo, Associate Commissioner for Global Pol-
icy and Strategy, Food and Drug Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services, Silver Spring, MD; Judith
McMeekin, Pharm.D., Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Af-
fairs, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and
Human Services, Silver Spring, MD; Mary Denigan-Macauley,
Ph.D., Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office,
Washington, DC; Douglas C. Throckmorton, M.D., Deputy Direc-
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tor for Regulatory Programs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Re-
search, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health
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37
and Human Services, Silver Spring, MD; David Light, founder
and CEO, Valisure, New Haven, CT; and Martin VanTrieste,
president and CEO, CivicaRx, Inc., Lehi, UT.
July 28, 2020—‘‘Part 1: Protecting the Reliability of the U.S. Med-
ical Supply Chain During the COVID–19 Pandemic.’’ Testimony
was heard from Soraya Correa, Chief Procurement Officer, De-
partment of Homeland Security, Washington, DC; Thomas F.
Overacker, Executive Director, Cargo and Conveyance Security,
Customs and Border Protection, Washington, DC; and Steve
Francis, Assistant Director, Global Trade Investigations Division,
and Director, National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination
Center, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of
Homeland Security,Washington, DC.
July 30, 2020—‘‘Part 2: Protecting the Reliability of the U.S. Med-
ical Supply Chain During the COVID–19 Pandemic.’’ Testimony
was heard from Cathy Denning, R.N., MSN, group senior vice
president, Sourcing Operations, Analytics, and Center of Excel-
lence, Vizient, Irving, TX; Robert J. Wiehe, senior vice president,
chief supply chain and logistics officer, UC Health, Cincinnati,
OH; Charles Johnson, president, International Safety Equipment
Association, Arlington, VA; and Ernest Grant, Ph.D., R.N.,
FAAN, president, American Nurses Association, Silver Spring,
MD.
FULL COMMITTEE CLASSIFIED BRIEFING
June 5, 2019—‘‘Foreign Threats to Taxpayer-Funded Research:
Oversight Opportunities and Policy Solutions.’’ Testimony was
heard from Captain Michael Schmoyer, Ph.D., Assistant Deputy
Secretary for National Security and Director, Office of National
Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Wash-
ington, DC; Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., Principal Deputy
Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; Leslie W.
Hollie, Chef of Investigative Operations, Office of Inspector Gen-
eral, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington,
DC; and Louis A. Rodi III, Deputy Assistant Director, National
Security Investigations Division, Immigration and Customs En-
forcement, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC.
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Nominations
Michael N. Nemelka, of Utah, to be a Deputy United States
Trade Representative (Investment, Services, Labor, Environ-
ment, Africa, China, and the Western Hemisphere), with the
rank of Ambassador, vice C.J. Mahoney.
May 4, 2020: Received in the Senate and referred to the Com-
mittee on Finance.
July 21, 2020: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
August 3, 2020: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
August 3, 2020: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
August 3, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 819. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
August 13, 2020: Considered by Senate.
August 13, 2020: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Christian N. Weiler, of Louisiana, to be a judge of the United
States Tax Court for a term of 15 years, vice Albert G. Lauber,
term expiring.
November 19, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
July 21, 2020: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
August 3, 2020: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
August 3, 2020: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
August 3, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 818. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
August 13, 2020: Considered by Senate.
August 13, 2020: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Alina I. Marshall, of Virginia, to be a judge of the United States
Tax Court for a term of 15 years, vice L. Paige Marvel, term
expiring.
November 19, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
July 21, 2020: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
August 3, 2020: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
August 3, 2020: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
August 3, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 817. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
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(39)
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40
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
August 13, 2020: Considered by Senate.
August 13, 2020: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Sarah C. Arbes, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of
Health and Human Services, vice Matthew Bassett, resigned.
October 30, 2019: Received in the Senate.
October 30, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
February 5, 2020: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
March 10, 2020: Referred to the Committee on Finance as re-
quested by Senator Grassley.
March 11, 2020: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
March 11, 2020: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
March 11, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 595. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
March 21, 2020: Considered by Senate.
March 21, 2020: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Kipp Kranbuhl, of Ohio, to be an Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury, vice Matthew S. Rutherford, resigned.
October 15, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
February 5, 2020: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
March 11, 2020: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
March 11, 2020: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
March 11, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 594. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
January 3, 2021: Returned to the President under the provisions
of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
Amy Karpel, of Washington, to be a member of the United States
International Trade Commission for a term expiring June 16,
2023, vice Irving A. Williamson, term expired.
June 5, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the Com-
mittee on Finance.
June 11, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
June 11, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
August 1, 2019: Considered by Senate.
August 1, 2019: Confirmed in Senate by voice vote.
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Brent James McIntosh, of Michigan, to be an Under Secretary
of the Treasury, vice David Malpass, resigned.
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41
May 23, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the Com-
mittee on Finance.
July 24, 2019: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
July 31, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
July 31, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
July 31, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 419. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
September 12, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to
consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice
vote.
September 12, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
September 16, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
September 17, 2019.
September 17, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
54–40.
September 17, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 17, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate.
September 18, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 18, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
54–38.
Brian Callanan, of New Jersey, to be General Counsel for the De-
partment of the Treasury, vice Brent James McIntosh.
May 23, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the Com-
mittee on Finance.
July 24, 2019: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
July 31, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
July 31, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
July 31, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 418. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
September 12, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to
consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice
vote.
September 12, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
September 9, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, manda-
tory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
September 16, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
September 17, 2019.
September 17, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
55–37.
September 17, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 18, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 18, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
55–39.
Brian McGuire, of New York, to be a Deputy Under Secretary of
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the Treasury, vice Andrew K. Maloney, resigned.
February 25, 2019: Received in the Senate.
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February 25, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
July 24, 2019: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
July 30, 2019: Referred to the Committee on Finance as re-
quested by Senator Grassley.
July 31, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
July 31, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
July 31, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 417. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
September 18, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to
consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice
vote.
September 18, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
September 18, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
September 19, 2019.
September 19, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 23, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 23, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
82–6.
September 23, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
and vote September 24, 2019.
September 24, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 24, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
88–6. Record vote number: 298.
Emin Toro, of Virginia, to be a judge of the United States Tax
Court for a term of 15 years, vice Joseph Robert Goeke, term
expired.
February 6, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
May 9, 2019: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
May 25, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
May 25, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
May 25, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 293. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
August 1, 2019: Considered by Senate.
August 1, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Courtney Dunbar Jones, of Virginia, to be a judge of the United
States Tax Court for a term of 15 years, vice John O. Colvin,
retired.
February 6, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
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March 26, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
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March 26, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
March 26, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 158. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
August 1, 2019: Considered by Senate.
August 1, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Mark Van Dyke Holmes, of New York, to be a judge of the
United States Tax Court for a term of 15 years (reappoint-
ment).
February 6, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
January 3, 2020: Returned to the President under the provisions
of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
Mark Van Dyke Holmes, of New York, to be a judge of the
United States Tax Court for a term of 15 years (reappoint-
ment).
December 10, 2020: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
January 3, 2021: Returned to the President under the provisions
of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
Travis Greaves, of the District of Columbia, to be a judge of the
United States Tax Court for a term of 15 years, vice Juan F.
Vasquez, term expired.
February 6, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
July 24, 2019: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
July 31, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
July 31, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
July 31, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 416. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
February 13, 2020: Motion to proceed to executive session to con-
sideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice vote.
February 13, 2020: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
February 13, 2020: By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory
quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
February 24, 2020: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
and vote February 25, 2020.
February 25, 2020: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
91–5.
February 25, 2020: Considered by Senate.
February 25, 2020: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
and vote February 27, 2020.
February 27, 2020: Considered by Senate.
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February 27, 2020: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
85–3.
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Gordon Hartogensis, of Connecticut, to be Director of the Pen-
sion Benefit Guaranty Corporation for a term of 5 years, vice
W. Thomas Reeder, Jr., resigned.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred jointly to
the Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions pursuant to section 411(c) of Pub. L. 109–280.
March 26, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
March 26, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
April 9, 2019: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions. Ordered to be reported favorably.
April 9, 2019: Reported by Senator Alexander, Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, without printed re-
port.
April 9, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 214. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
April 11, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to consid-
eration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice vote.
April 11, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
April 11, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory
quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
April 30, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote, 72–
27.
April 30, 2019: Considered by Senate.
April 30, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate April
30, 2019.
April 30, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote, 72–
27.
Randolph J. Stayin, of Virginia, to be a member of the United
States International Trade Commission for a term expiring
June 16, 2026, vice Meredith M. Broadbent, term expired.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
June 11, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
June 11, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
June 11, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 296. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
August 1, 2019: Considered by Senate.
August 1, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Andrew M. Saul, of New York, to be Commissioner of Social Secu-
rity for the term expiring January 19, 2025 (reappointment).
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
March 26, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
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March 26, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
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March 26, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 157. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
May 23, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to consider-
ation of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice vote.
May 23, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
May 23, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory
quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
June 3, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote, 74–
17.
June 3, 2019: Considered by Senate.
June 3, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate and vote
June 4, 2019.
June 4, 2019: Considered by Senate.
June 4, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote, 77–16.
Andrew M. Saul, of New York, to be Commissioner of Social Secu-
rity for the term expiring January 19, 2019, vice Michael J.
Astrue, resigned.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
January 3, 2020: Returned to the President under the provisions
of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
Jeffrey Kessler, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Com-
merce, vice Paul Piquado, resigned.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
February 5, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
February 5, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on
Finance, without printed report.
February 5, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Cal-
endar No. 8.
April 1, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to consider-
ation of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice vote.
April 1, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
April 2, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate April 2,
2019.
April 3, 2019: Considered by Senate.
April 3, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote, 95–
3.
April 3, 2019: Point of order by Senator McConnell that the post-
cloture time under Rule XXII for all executive branch nomi-
nations other than a position at level I of the Executive
Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, U.S.C. is 2 hours in
Senate.
April 3, 2019: Ruling of the chair that the point of order raised
by Senator McConnell with respect to the post-cloture time
under Rule XXII was not sustained.
April 3, 2019: Motion by Senator McConnell to appeal the ruling
of the chair agreed to, the question being, ‘‘Shall the decision
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of the chair stand as the judgment of the Senate?’’; deter-
mined by Yea–Nay vote, 48–51.
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April 3, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Amy Karpel, of Washington, to be a member of the United States
International Trade Commission for the remainder of the term
expiring June 16, 2020, vice F. Scott Kieff, resigned.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
June 5, 2019: Received message of withdrawal of nomination
from the President.
Michael Faulkender, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury, vice Karen Dynan.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
February 5, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
February 5, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on
Finance, without printed report.
February 5, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Cal-
endar No. 7.
August 1, 2019: Considered by Senate.
August 1, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.
Michael J. Desmond, of California, to be Chief Counsel for the
Internal Revenue Service and an Assistant General Counsel in
the Department of the Treasury, vice William J. Wilkins.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
February 5, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on
Finance, without printed report.
February 5, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Cal-
endar No. 6.
February 14, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to con-
sideration of nomination in Senate by voice vote.
February 14, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
February 14, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory
quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
February 26, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
84–15.
February 26, 2019: Considered by Senate.
February 26, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
and vote February 27, 2019.
February 27, 2019: Considered by Senate.
February 27, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
83–15.
Elizabeth Darling, of Texas, to be Commissioner on Children,
Youth, and Families, Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices, vice Rafael J. Lopez.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate.
January 16, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
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February 4, 2019: Referred to the Committee on Finance as re-
quested by Senator Grassley.
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February 5, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
February 5, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on
Finance, without printed report.
February 5, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Cal-
endar No. 5.
August 1, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to consid-
eration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice vote.
August 1, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
August 1, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory
quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
September 9, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
and vote September 10, 2019.
September 10, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
57–37.
September 10, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 10, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
57–37.
David Fabian Black, of North Dakota, to be Deputy Commis-
sioner of Social Security for a term expiring January 19, 2025
(reappointment).
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
May 9, 2019: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
May 23, 2019: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported fa-
vorably.
May 23, 2019: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
May 23, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 292. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
September 19, 2019: Motion to proceed to executive session to
consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by voice
vote.
September 19, 2019: Cloture motion presented in Senate.
September 19, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, manda-
tory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.
September 23, 2019: By unanimous consent agreement, debate
and vote September 24, 2019.
September 24, 2019: Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
66–25. Record vote number: 297.
September 24, 2019: Considered by Senate.
September 24, 2019: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea–Nay vote,
68–26. Record vote number: 301.
David Fabian Black, of North Dakota, to be Deputy Commis-
sioner of Social Security for the term expiring January 19,
2019, vice Carolyn W. Colvin, term expired.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
January 3, 2020: Returned to the President under the provisions
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of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
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48
Jason J. Fichtner, of the District of Columbia, to be a member
of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring Sep-
tember 30, 2024, vice Lanhee J. Chen, term expired.
January 16, 2020: Received in the Senate.
January 16, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
February 5, 2020: Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
March 10, 2020: Referred to the Committee on Finance as re-
quested by Senator Grassley.
March 11, 2020: Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported
favorably.
March 11, 2020: Reported by Senator Grassley, Committee on Fi-
nance, without printed report.
March 11, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar
No. 593. Subject to nominee’s commitment to respond to re-
quests to appear and testify before any duly constituted com-
mittee of the Senate.
Geoffrey William Seiji Okamoto, of California, to be Deputy
Under Secretary of the Treasury, vice Ramin Toloui.
January 9, 2019: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
January 3, 2020: Returned to the President under the provisions
of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
William G. Dauster, of Maryland, to be a member of the Board
of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund
for a term of 4 years, vice Robert D. Reischauer, term expired.
February 12, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
William G. Dauster, of Maryland, to be a member of the Board
of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for
a term of 4 years, vice Robert D. Reischauer, term expired.
February 12, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
William G. Dauster, of Maryland, to be a member of the Board
of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance
Trust Fund for a term of 4 years, vice Robert D. Reischauer,
term expired.
February 12, 2020: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
James B. Lockhart III, of Connecticut, to be a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust
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Fund for a term of 4 years, vice Charles P. Blahous III, term
expired.
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49
January 16, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
James B. Lockhart III, of Connecticut, to be a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insur-
ance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust
Fund for a term of 4 years, vice Charles P. Blahous III, term
expired.
January 16, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
James B. Lockhart III, of Connecticut, to be a member of the
Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical In-
surance Trust Fund for a term of 4 years, vice Charles P.
Blahous III, term expired.
January 16, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
Michael J. Astrue, of Massachusetts, to be a member of the Social
Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30,
2022, vice Alan L. Cohen, term expired.
January 16, 2019: Received in the Senate.
January 16, 2019: Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the
Privileged Nominations section with nominee information re-
quested by the Committee on Finance, pursuant to S. Res.
116, 112th Congress.
September 9, 2019: Received message of withdrawal of nomina-
tion from the President.
William Patrick Joseph Kimmitt, of Virginia, to be a member
of the United States International Trade Commission for a
term expiring June 16, 2029, vice F. Scott Kieff, term expired.
December 2, 2020: Received in the Senate and referred to the
Committee on Finance.
January 3, 2021: Returned to the President under the provisions
of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of
the Senate.
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BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS REFERRED
TO THE COMMITTEE
There were 918 Senate bills and 12 House bills referred to the
committee for consideration during the 116th Congress. In addi-
tion, 12 Senate and House resolutions ( joint, concurrent, or simple
resolutions) were referred to the committee.
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REPORTS, PRINTS, AND STUDIES
During the 116th Congress, the committee and supporting joint
committees prepared and issued 6 reports, special prints, and stud-
ies on the following topics:
Title Document no. To accompany
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Imple- 116–283 ......... H.R. 5430
mentation Act.
The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 116–120 ......... S. 2543
2019.
Insulin: Examining the Factors Driving the Rising 116–51 ........... ........................
Cost of a Century Old Drug.
Syndicated Conservation-Easement Transactions .. 116–44 ........... ........................
Report on the Activities of the Committee on Fi- 116–19 ........... ........................
nance of the United States Senate During the
115th Congress.
Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Finance ... 116–2 ............. ........................
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OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS
During the 116th Congress, a total of 472 official communica-
tions were submitted to the committee. Of these, 4 were Presi-
dential Messages; 420 were Executive Communications—these
communications include reports to advise and inform the Congress,
required annual or semi-annual agency budget and activities sum-
maries, and requests for legislative action. The committee also re-
ceived 48 Petitions and Memorials.
Æ
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- CRPT_crpt-117srpt9_crpt-117srpt9.pdf
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- 534,361 bytes
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- 038a9325b159663d2dc254202e0fb88fd15d828965a83a441bf28fbda0a5d15c
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- www.govinfo.gov