Press Releases
Committee Cliff Notes: Week of February 6, 2023
Washington,
February 11, 2023
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Armed Services On Tuesday, February 7, HASC held a full committee hearing called “The Pressing Threat of the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Defense.” The committee received testimony from non-governmental witnesses on the pressing threat of the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. national defense. “China is the most challenging national security threat America has faced in 30 years. If we fail to acknowledge that, and take immediate action to deter it, the next 30 years could be devastating for our nation,” said Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers. (R-AL) On Thursday, February 9, Chairman Rogers and Subcommittee on Military Personnel Chairman Jim Banks pressed the Department of Defense for answers on the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on servicemembers. Education and Workforce On Thursday, February 9, the Education and Workforce Committee held its first hearing, titled “American Education in Crisis,” which discussed the state of K-12 and postsecondary education. Key Takeaways:
Energy and Commerce On Tuesday, February 7, the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security and the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials held a joint legislative hearing called “Unleashing American Energy, Lowering Energy Costs, and Strengthening Supply Chains.”  
On Wednesday, February 8, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee held a joint hearing with these government officials about the Biden Administration’s horrible response to COVID-19 and how we can restore confidence in our public health agencies.    Financial Services
On Wednesday, February 8, the House Financial Services Committee held its first hearing of the year about combatting the economic threat from China. Republicans believe that the United States must outcompete China on the global stage by reinforcing American values rather than undermining them. Key Takeaways:
House Administration In 2022, the Architect of the Capitol's Office of Inspector General published a report outlining that the Architect misused a government vehicle, impersonated a police officer, and more. On Thursday, February 9, the Committee on House Administration held a hearing examining the organizational health, current operations, and future plans of the Architect of the Capitol, one of the legislative branch’s foundational entities. Key Takeaways:
House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil questioned Brett Blanton about the allegations made by the AOC Inspector General.    On Monday, February 6, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner sent letters to various intelligence officials about the public statement signed in October 2020 that falsely implied the New York Post’s reporting about Hunter Biden was the product of Russian disinformation. The letters reiterate the Judiciary Committee’s request for a transcribed interview before the Committee and for each individual to produce any outstanding material so the necessary oversight can be performed.  “In May 2022, the State of Missouri and the State of Louisiana sued the Biden Administration to seek relief for free-speech violations. Documents produced to the States as part of this litigation include communications between Executive Branch officials and employees of social media companies. These documents appear to reveal that the Executive Branch repeatedly pressured social media platforms to censor certain viewpoints. “Congress has an important interest in protecting and advancing fundamental free speech principles, including by examining how the Executive Branch coordinates with or coerces private actors to suppress First Amendment-protected speech. The Judiciary Committee, in particular, has jurisdiction under the Rules of the House of Representatives over American civil liberties. As Congress continues to examine how to best protect Americans' fundamental freedoms, the documents discovered and produced during the Missouri v. Biden litigation are necessary to assist Congress in understanding the problem and evaluating potential legislative reforms. Accordingly, we ask that you please produce all of the documents that the Department has produced thus far in the Missouri v. Biden litigation,” wrote Chairman Jordan. Natural Resources On Wednesday, February 8, the Natural Resources held its first hearing of the 118th Congress, titled “Unleashing America's Energy and Mineral Potential.” Key Takeaways:
Oversight and Accountability On Tuesday, February 7, the Oversight and Accountability Committee held a hearing titled “On The Front Lines of the Border Crisis: A Hearing with Chief Patrol Agents.” Chairman Comer and Oversight Republicans outlined how President Biden and his administration’s policies created the worst border crisis in American history. U.S. Border Patrol Chiefs testified about a crisis that has set records for the arrests of illegal border crossers, migrant deaths, narcotics seized, and suspected terrorists arrested trying to illegally cross the border. Last Congress, Democrats did not hold a single hearing on the humanitarian and national security crisis at the border. Tuesday’s hearing was the first time the committee heard from U.S. Border Patrol agents during the Biden Administration about their ongoing efforts to secure the border. Key Takeaways:
Chairman Comer: “Chief Modlin, would you agree that the cartels currently exercise significant control over who is allowed to illegally cross in between the ports of entry? Chief Modlin: “What I see in Tucson sector, my experience is that no one crosses the border in Tucson sector without going through the cartels.” Chairman Comer: “Chief Modlin, are you concerned that the cartels are leveraging a chaotic situation to bring in criminals or suspected terrorists to evade apprehension entirely?” Chief Modlin: “Sir, gotaways are incredibly important… As I described earlier, that process of task saturating does leave areas vulnerable and then allows people to cross that we’re aware of, in the case of a gotaway, but we just can’t get there to apprehend them. I think the other concern is the unknown amount of gotaways – the people that we don’t see.” Chairman Comer: “It sounds like the cartels are taking advantage of historically high flow of illegal immigration to overwhelm border patrol agents’ resources, place migrants in peril, and undermine border security by introducing deadly narcotics, criminals, and terrorists into our country. It’s unfortunate then, that President Biden’s administration removed many of the deterrent policies that were working to reduce the flow of illegal border crossings and keep cartels in check. For two years, we’ve watched a crisis unfold with little Oversight. No longer.”  Chairman Comer and Oversight Republicans detailed how Twitter worked closely with the federal government to actively monitor and censor Americans online. Under the leadership of former Twitter employees Vijaya Gadde, James Baker, and Yoel Roth, Twitter coordinated extensively with the FBI to disproportionately target Republican leaders, conservative activists, and certain media outlets. In October 2020, Twitter censored the New York Post’s story about the Biden family’s business schemes based on the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop, despite the article not violating any Twitter policies. Key Takeaways:
Chairman Comer: “Isn’t it correct that the Biden campaign had contact with Twitter in the run-up to the 2020 election… And you’re telling this committee that you didn’t ask any Biden representative if the laptop was real or for Hunter Biden’s attorney’s phone number to confirm its authenticity?” Ms. Gadde: “We did not speak to anybody related to that.” Chairman Comer: “Mr. Roth, Ms. Gadde, and Mr. Baker, it appears to me that you failed at your jobs. You were entrusted with the highest level of power at Twitter, but when you were faced with a New York Post story, instead of allowing people to judge the information for themselves, you rushed to find a reason why the American people shouldn’t see it. In a matter of hours, you were deciding on the truth of a story that spans years and dozens of complex international transactions. You did this because you were terrified of Joe Biden not winning the election in 2020. That’s what it appeared. I can assure you this committee will succeed in holding the Biden’s accountable.”  There has been growing evidence of the politicization of our intelligence agencies and the abuses of power they’ve engaged in to silence, target, and collect information on those they disagree with. This Republican House will not allow this to continue unchecked. On Thursday, February 9, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government held its first hearing about how the federal government is undermining everyday Americans. “Americans have concerns about the double standard at the Department of Justice. Americans have concerns about the disinformation governance board that the Department of Homeland Security tried to form. Americans have concerns about the ATF and what they're doing to the Second Amendment. And, of course, they have concerns about the IRS and the thousands of new agents who are coming to that organization. And finally, there are concerns about what we've learned in the Twitter Files where Big Government and Big Tech colluded to shape and mold the narrative and to suppress information and censor Americans,” said Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government Chairman Jim Jordan. Professor Jonathan Turley, a Professor at The George Washington University Law School and First Amendment expert, discussed what he called: “Censorship by surrogate.” The FBI was flagging tweets – some that were merely jokes – to Twitter heads suggesting they were breaking their terms of service. Why is the federal government flagging posts to Twitter in the first place? The FBI’s close coordination with Big Tech should raise eyebrows for everyone, no matter their party.  “If we choose not to accept whatever those in power declare is the so-called truth, we are accused of being anti-authority, seen as a danger to society, accused of spreading misinformation and are targeted, smeared, called ‘Russian asset, white supremacist, bigot, racist, sexist, extremist, traitor ….’ canceled, silenced. More dangerous than any baseless smear, our own government institutions, which exist to serve the people, are being weaponized against us,” said former Representative Tulsi Gabbard. The Biden Administration’s new flawed and burdensome waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule will lead to sweeping changes to the federal government’s authority to regulate what is considered a navigable water, with enormous impacts on small businesses, manufacturers, farmers, home and infrastructure builders, local communities, water districts, and private property owners. On February 2, T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval on the Biden WOTUS rule. “As American families and businesses continue suffering under the economic crises caused by the disastrous Biden policies of the last two years, this Administration has inexplicably decided to move the country back toward the costly and burdensome WOTUS regulations of the past,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves. On Wednesday, February 8, the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing examining the effects of the Administration’s WOTUS rule, entitled, “Stakeholder Perspectives on the Impacts of the Biden Administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule.” “There’s no greater example of bureaucratic overreach under the Clean Water Act than the regulatory nightmare of applying and understanding the definition of a water of the United States,” said Rep. David Rouzer.  Click here or on the image above to view Rep. Rouzer’s remarks. Veterans' Affairs Committee On Wednesday, February 8, Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bost introduced two bills: H.R. 754, the Modernizing Veterans' Healthcare Eligibility Act, and H.R. 753, the VA COST SAVINGS Enhancements Act. Both pieces of legislation would propel the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) into the 21st century with modern medical waste practices, and an independent, bipartisan assessment of the VA healthcare eligibility system to create a simplified eligibility and enrollment process for veterans. “The VA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. Its longevity depends on it keeping pace with modern medical practices, while also delivering a system that meets the needs of today’s veteran population, and the next generation of servicemembers,” said Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost. “It’s been 27 years since we took an in-depth look at the VA healthcare eligibility process for veterans. That’s too long. My bill would create a bipartisan commission to report recommendations to Congress on how we can upgrade the eligibility system. House Republicans are focused on ensuring veterans who rightly earned VA care receive that care in the best environments possible. These bills would give VA the authority to do exactly that.” Ways and Means On Monday, February 6, the Ways and Means Committee held its first full committee hearing in Petersburg, West Virginia, to hear directly from small business owners, workers, and families about the state of the American economy and how they have been affected by inflation, supply chain problems, and high energy costs after two years of one-party Democrat rule. “[T]he first full hearing of the Ways and Means Committee is not being held in the marbled halls of Congress. Instead, we are in Petersburg, West Virginia for the first of many such field hearings. The Ways and Means Committee has a connection to the American public that dates back to the founding of our country. Every family, business, farmer, senior citizen, and, frankly, foreign nation is impacted by our work. More importantly, our values are reflected in that work. But over the last few years, this committee’s work – and that of Congress – has drifted from the needs of these good people. We must course correct. We must prioritize the voices in rooms like this one, and not those of the Washington political class. We will hear today about the state of the American economy. And it is in danger,” said Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith.   On Wednesday, February 8, the Ways and Means Committee launched their investigation into the size and scope of fraud in federal unemployment programs, which skyrocketed during the pandemic, and prevented suffering Americans from receiving needed benefits, while exposing their private personal information to identity theft. Last Congress, Ways and Means Democrats ignored repeated calls from Republicans for oversight hearings. Key Takeaways:
W&M Chairman Smith: “Your agency released an estimate of at least $60 billion in UI fraud. Which, I think, we can all agree, is just scratching the surface of this problem…when should this committee expect to receive an updated and more expansive review of UI fraud from GAO?” Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office (GAO): “The $60 billion estimate, as we reported, is the low-end estimate. We’re working on a high-end estimate now. We should have something available later this summer.”  Rep. Beth Van Duyne: “Do we have any hope of ever seeing these dollars again?”
Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office (GAO): “History will tell us that a very low percentage will likely be recovered. That’s just the fact of the matter.” Larry Turner, Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG): “I would agree, and let me just say it’s going to take a while…it will take quite a while to ever figure out exactly how much.” Michael Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC): “The recovery rate is clearly going to be far below what the fraud rate is.”  |
