Press Releases
Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of March 20, 2023
Washington,
March 25, 2023
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Agriculture On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology held a hearing called “A Review of Title VII: USDA Implementation of Research Programs.” According to the USDA Economic Research Service, public spending on agricultural research has yielded our economy $20 for every $1 spent. The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the implementation of research programs authorized in Title VII of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill).
Appropriations On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing called "Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General." The subcommittee, joined by Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Office of Inspector General. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing called “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the United States Forest Service." The subcommittee, joined by U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore and National Budget Director Mark Lichtenstein, discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the agency. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a budget hearing called “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Government Accountability Office." The subcommittee, joined by Government Accountability Office Comptroller General of the United States Gene Dodaro, discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the agency. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing called "Public Witness Day." Seventeen health, education, and policy organizations joined the Committee for a Public Witness Day to provide insight on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee’s work. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Defense held a budget hearing called "Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Defense." During the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert discussed the administration’s “failure to anticipate and implement a coherent geopolitical strategy.”  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing called “Member Day,” to ensure that Members have an opportunity to provide input into the annual appropriations process. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies held a budget hearing called “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Energy.” Unfortunately, the President’s Budget continues the administration’s out-of-touch energy policies. During the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann discussed how the President’s Budget Request has misguided energy priorities.  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a hearing called “Member Day,” to ensure that Members have an opportunity to provide input into the annual appropriations process. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch held a budget hearing called “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Library of Congress.” The subcommittee, joined by Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden, Associate Register of Copyrights & Director of Policy and Internal Affairs Maria Strong, and Congressional Research Service Director Dr. Mary Mazanec, discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Library of Congress. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing called “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General.” The subcommittee, joined by Department of Commerce Inspector General Peggy Gustafson, discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget request for the Office of Inspector General. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a budget hearing called "Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of State." During the hearing, a handful of members reiterated their support for Israel, which continues to face active threats from Iran, its attempts to expand its nuclear capabilities, and its support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing called "Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Army Military Construction and Family Housing." The subcommittee, joined by Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations, Energy, and Environment Rachel Jacobson and Deputy Chief of Staff G9, Installation Management Command Lieutenant General Kevin Vereen, discussed the fiscal year 2024 budget request for Army military construction and family housing. On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a budget and oversight hearing called "President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request and Economic Outlook." During the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack noted that our country is in the “midst of great economic turmoil.”  On Friday, March 24, the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch held a hearing called "Fiscal Year 2024 Members’ Day Hearing and Public Witness Testimony for the Record." To ensure that Members have an opportunity to provide input into the annual appropriations process, the subcommittee held a Member Day hearing. Armed Services On Thursday, March 23rd, the House Armed Services Committee held a full committee hearing called "U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa." The committee received testimony from Department of Defense officials on China’s growing influence in Africa and the Middle East, the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, counterterrorism efforts, and Iran’s reckless behavior.  On Thursday, March 23rd, the Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation held a hearing called "Science, Technology, and Innovation at the Department of Defense." The subcommittee received testimony from Department of Defense officials on efforts to boost innovation within DoD and ensure our warfighters have access to the best technology available. On Thursday, March 23rd, the Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a hearing called "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Impacts to the Department of Defense and the Armed Services." Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force officials testified on the adverse effects that far-left policies and trainings, implemented by the Biden administration, have had on the readiness, lethality, and cohesion of the military forces.  Budget On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on the Budget held a full committee hearing called “The President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request”. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Shalanda Young, served as a witness to the Committee to answer questions about the spending proposals outlined in the President's Budget. This hearing highlighted the dangers of increasing federal spending, yet again, after two years of failed economic policies proposed by the Biden administration.    Education and Workforce On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing called "Breaking the System: Examining the Implications of Biden's Student Loan Policies for Students and Taxpayers." During the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens commented, "Hopefully, our efforts will help shine a light for the American public on the failures of this administration and present an alternative vision that will lower college costs, limit excessive borrowing, and ensure students and taxpayers get a return on their investment in postsecondary education." On Friday, March 24, the House passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. As Dr. Virginia Foxx, Chairwoman of the Committee on Education and Workforce, stated, “With this bill, we will send a strong message that parents are an integral part of their child’s education and must be respected.” Energy and Commerce On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a full committee hearing called “TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms.” As Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said: “Banning TikTok will address the immediate national security threats. We must also prevent any app, website, and platform like TikTok from ever spying on Americans again, and we must provide the strongest protections possible for our children. That is why this Committee is leading on a national privacy and data security standard.”    On Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a full committee markup on the following pieces of legislation:
Financial Services On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions held a hearing called “Follow the Money: The CCP’s Business Model Fueling the Fentanyl Crisis,” led by Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer. China is the primary source of the knowhow and illicit materials that Mexican cartels use to manufacture lethal synthetic opioids. While there are a lot of pieces to this enormous challenge, including our unsecured border, the flow of money is the lifeblood of fentanyl trafficking, and where our Committee can bring our experience and expertise to bear.    Foreign Affairs
On Wednesday, March 22, the Subcommittees on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and on the Western Hemisphere held a joint subcommittee hearing called “The Ortega-Murillo Regime’s War Against the Catholic Church and Civil Society in Nicaragua: Bishop Alvarez, Political Prisoners, and Prisoners of Conscience.” Two former Nicaragua presidential candidates and political prisoners, a human rights defender, and a democracy expert testified and discussed the need to enter a new phase to free the Nicaraguan people, particularly the 37 prisoners that remain, including Bishop Alvarez, and end the regime’s war against democracy and religious freedom. It is essential that the Biden Administration put more sanctions in place to end this tyranny and to stop the spread of authoritarianism. On Thursday, March 23, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a full committee hearing called “The State of American Diplomacy in 2023: Growing Conflicts, Budget Challenges, and Great Power Competition.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified before the committee to discuss the FY2024 budget and the Biden administration’s foreign policy challenges and priorities. It is essential that Secretary Blinken and the State Department provide the American people with transparency regarding the administration’s misplaced budgetary priorities – including an emphasis on woke ideological foreign aid programming abroad – and its strategy regarding growing global conflicts.    On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific held a hearing called “Renewed U.S. Engagement in the Pacific: Assessing the Importance of the Pacific Islands.”
This Resolution of Inquiry passed the committee 26-20 and will ensure that, in the future, such brutal wars of aggression can be deterred by American strength, not encouraged by American weakness projected by the Biden administration. The American taxpayer deserves to know how this money is spent - the committee is dedicated to ensuring support is effective in protecting U.S. security interests abroad and exercising intense Congressional oversight on all our assistance to Ukraine. Homeland Security On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing titled “CISA 2025: The State of American Cybersecurity from a Stakeholder Perspective.” Subcommittee Chairman Garbarino previewed the hearing with The Washington Post.  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a hearing titled, “Securing America’s Maritime Border: Challenges and Solutions for U.S. National Security.”
House Administration On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration held a hearing titled, “2022 Midterms Look Back Series: Election Observer Access.” Subcommittee Chair Laurel Lee (FL-15) highlighted how election observers must have the appropriate training and access to every aspect of the election administration process in order to be effective. Unfortunately, in recent years, some election offices have blocked observer access. During the hearing, experts testified about why we must ensure that election observers have access in order to strengthen voter confidence.  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on House Administration held a hearing titled, “Looking Ahead Series: Office of the Attending Physician.” The Attending Physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, testified. While the Office of Attending Physician (OAP) has operated largely behind the scenes, during the COVID-19 pandemic OAP became a substantial voice with an increased sense of authority, enabled by the office of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Committee members highlighted how during that time, the OAP issued inconsistent health and safety guidance across the two chambers of Congress due to political pressures.   House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence On Wednesday, March 22, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence announced members of its bipartisan working group focused on overseeing the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).  Section 702 is a key provision of FISA that allows the government to conduct targeted surveillance of non-U.S. persons located abroad to acquire foreign intelligence information. Title VII of FISA is scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2023.
The working group will lead the effort to educate Members of Congress about the necessity of reauthorizing Section 702 while considering meaningful reforms to improve the legislation and protect American civil liberties from cases of misuse and exploitation.
Judiciary
On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance and the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a joint hearing, “ATF’s Assault on the Second Amendment: When is Enough Enough,” to examine the agency’s new stabilizing pistol brace rule among many other actions taken to infringe upon Americans’ Second Amendment rights.  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing, “Free Speech: The Biden Administration’s Chilling of Parents’ Fundamental Rights,” to examine the attacks on concerned parents’ Constitutional rights to direct the upbringing and care of their children.
 Natural Resources On Thursday, March 23, the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
During the hearing, members discussed the outdated Endangered Species Act and the delisting of gray wolves and grizzly bears. Historically, these provisions have seen bipartisan support, but extremist litigation has been used to perpetually keep these species on the list.  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
Due to burdensome regulation, frivolous litigation and unnecessary red tape, national forests and public lands are facing historically devastating fire seasons year after year. During the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany highlighted the hypocrisy of the dems witness who herself is engaged in almost 60 lawsuits against the government by conducting the hearing with copies of the thousands of pages of legal complaints from her. 
Starting in 1984, land transactions with Indians were prohibited unless authorized by Congress. Over time, these restrictions have changed and now generally only apply to land held in trust by the United States for the benefit of individual Indians or Indian tribes. Ensuring tribes can negotiate effectively, and on the same playing field as other landholders, can clear the way for further economic development, especially in rural areas. The two bills from Subcommittee Chair Hageman are bipartisan solutions to fix these issues.  Oversight and Accountability On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs and the Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held a joint hearing called “ATF’s Assault on the Second Amendment: When is Enough Enough?” During the hearing, members discussed with expert witnesses how the ATF under the Biden Administration has upended guidance that law-abiding gun owners have relied upon for over a decade, potentially subjecting individuals and small business to felony prison sentences and exorbitant fines if they do not comply with a new final rule. Members also discussed how the ATF in recent years has operated without congressional approval and devoted substantial time and resources to pursue a left-wing agenda targeting lawful gun-owning Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights.  On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation held a hearing called “Unpacking the White House National Cybersecurity Strategy.” At the hearing, subcommittee members asked the lead cybersecurity official in the White House to explain and defend the Biden Administration’s recently unveiled National Cybersecurity Strategy.  The House Rules Committee met on Wednesday, March 22, to consider the Parents Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 5), legislation that upholds the rights of parents to ensure their children receive the best education and prioritize school transparency. Chairman Cole and Rules members welcomed Committee on Education & the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx to discuss the bill. They made clear that the proposal prioritizes safeguarding the critical role parents play in their child's education and helps ensure that our classrooms are places of learning and growth.    On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee hearing called “Advanced Air Mobility: The Future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Beyond.” During the hearing, witnesses from academia, industry, and government shared the ongoing efforts to develop unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility technologies. The hearing served as a legislative hearing for The National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Act, a bill that would provide for a coordinated Federal initiative to accelerate civilian unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility research and development to strengthen economic and national security.   On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing called “Unleashing American Power: The Development of Next Generation Energy Infrastructure.” The hearing examined the status of grid security, hydrogen, and pipelines research and development activities carried out or supported by the Department of Energy. Witnesses from Idaho National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, ClearPath, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Pipeline Research Council International joined. This hearing served as a legislative hearing for a series of bills that would authorize DOE’s work in grid security, hydrogen, and pipelines.
Small Business On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on Small Business held a hearing titled “Oversight of the Small Business Administration.” At Thursday’s House Committee on Small Business hearing, Republican members questioned Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Guzman over the agency’s failure to prevent billions of taxpayer dollars’ worth of fraud within several pandemic loan programs. Committee members also pushed back against President Biden and the SBA’s budget request that asked for millions in new funding to pursue unrelated initiatives such as combating climate change. The Committee made it clear that after failing to be an adequate steward of taxpayer money, members expect the SBA to get back to basics and pursue its core mission of helping America’s small businesses.    Transportation and Infrastructure On Wednesday, March 22, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a roundtable called “State of Federal Real Estate.” Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chairman Scott Perry led a lively discussion about cutting down waste in federal real estate and ensuring that taxpayer-funded office space isn’t sitting empty and unused.  Click here or on the image above to view Rep. Edward's remarks on getting federal employees back to work. T&I Republicans questioned airport and industry executives about how to encourage innovation to enhance the customer experience, how individual associations and companies are working to assess and improve the passenger experience, what the most challenging obstacles to improving air travel quality are, and more.
On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing titled, “Review of Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for Federal Maritime Transportation Programs, and Implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022." Republican Members questioned witnesses from the U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Federal Maritime Commission about issues related to the implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, cybersecurity at ports, the Port Infrastructure Development Program, and more.
Veterans' Affairs Committee On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a full committee business meeting entitled, “Business Meeting to Authorize the Women Veteran Task Force." Women are the fastest growing group of servicemembers and veterans and VA must be prepared to serve them well. As such, Chairman Bost made the decision to reauthorize the Committee’s bipartisan women veteran task force, which was originally created during the 116th Congress. The task force will hold a series of roundtables over the next six months to meet with women veterans and stakeholders about the unique challenges the women veteran community faces. At the end of the six-month period, the task force will produce a bipartisan report with recommendations for legislative and oversight action to better serve women veterans. On Thursday, March 23, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a full committee hearing entitled, "U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025." The Committee held its oversight hearing to assess the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Chairman Bost and Republican committee members made clear that House Republicans will always prioritize funding the VA to serve veterans and will continue to do so. However, the administration’s budget request relies on an unprecedented number of gimmicks, many of which shift funding from discretionary to mandatory, and risk undermining accountability at VA.
Ways and Means
On Thursday, March 23, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing called “Why Health Care is Unaffordable: The Fallout of Democrats’ Inflation on Patients and Small Businesses.” Americans operating small businesses who are being crushed by Obamacare regulations and raging inflation testified during the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing led by Chairman Vern Buchanan (FL-16) about the challenges they face in affording and providing health insurance for their employees.  On Friday, March 24, the Committee on Ways and Means held a full committee hearing on the Biden Administration’s 2023 trade policy agenda with United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai. U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai appeared before the Ways and Means Committee on Friday to discuss the President’s trade agenda, only to be faced with tough questions on whether that trade agenda even exists, why the White House is refusing to work with Congress despite the Constitution requiring that Congress drive trade, and the Biden Administration’s failure to hold China accountable while also surrendering the world’s customers to China despite its constant cheating and human rights abuses.   |
