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Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of March 11, 2024

Washington, March 14, 2024
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:

Armed Services

On Tuesday, March 12, the Armed Services Committee held a full committee hearing on U.S. military posture and national security challenges in North and South America. The hearing focused on China and Russia’s malign influence in the western hemisphere and how the Department of Defense is providing support to law enforcement dealing with Biden’s border crisis. 


On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing on the policies, programs, and priorities associated with U.S. hypersonic capabilities, and the capabilities and intent of adversaries’ hypersonic development efforts. In his opening statement, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) said, “There are many compelling reasons why fielding hypersonic weapons is necessary for our national defense. They enable us to strike distant, defended, and time-critical threats that other forces cannot. This is a critical capability for the Indo-Pacom Commander who faces significant anti-access/area-denial problems. They also provide the Commander in Chief with a conventional response option and have significant strategic deterrent value.”

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces held a hearing on Air Force projection forces aviation programs and capabilities related to the President’s FY25 budget request. In his opening statement, Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) said, “More than ever projection forces play an important part in the growing threats around the world.”

On Wednesday, March 13, the Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation held a hearing on the integral role of software in Department of Defense systems and how to acquire and deploy it for rapid innovation. In his opening statement, Rep. Morgan  Luttrell (R-TX) said, “When we see panels and studies repeatedly noting the Department’s struggles with software, findings that are remarkably consistent from the 1980s to today, we know that something is fundamentally amiss.”

Budget

On Tuesday, March 12, The Health Care Task Force held a roundtable examining the budgetary effects and activities of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). 

On Monday, March 11, Chairman Arrington responded to the release of President Biden’s FY25 budget request. 
 
Education and the Workforce

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions and the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a joint hearing called "Safeguarding Student-Athletes from NLRB Misclassification." This hearing came on the heels of the NLRB classifying Dartmouth’s men’s basketball players as employees. Biden’s weaponized NLRB wants to label all student-athletes as employees. This undermines the primary responsibility of colleges and universities: to deliver a high-quality education.The hearing gave members the opportunity to examine how classifying athletic conferences as joint employers is absurd and could hurt students by restricting their freedoms, undermining women’s sports, lowering educational standards, and triggering unintended consequences such as revoking and taxing scholarships.





 
Energy and Commerce

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Health held a markup of the following 19 bills to improve the health of patients:
  • H.R. 619, the NAPA Reauthorization Act, led by Reps. Tonko, C. Smith, and Waters, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 26-0. 
  • H.R. 620, the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act, led by Reps. C. Smith, Tonko, and Waters, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 26-0.
  • H.R. 2706, the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, led by Reps. Cammack and Dingell, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by voice vote.
  • H.R. 4646, the SIREN Reauthorization Act, led by Reps. D. Joyce and Dingell, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 24-0.
  • H.R. 5074, the Kidney PATIENT Act, led by Reps. Carter and Kuster, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 16-10.
  • H.R. 5526, the Seniors' Access to Critical Medications Act of 2023, led by Reps. Harshbarger, Wasserman Schultz, and Davis, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 19-6. 
  • H.R. 4581, the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2023, led by Reps. Hinson and Adams, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 25-0.
  • H.R. 6160, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program, led by Reps. Molinaro and Cárdenas, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 25-0.
  • H.R. 6829, the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research, and Training in the Schools (HEARTS) Act of 2023, led by Reps. Pallone and A. Kim, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 24-0. 
  • H.R. 6960, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2024, led by Reps. Carter and Castor, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 23-0.
  • H.R. 7153, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act, led by Reps. Wild and Kiggans, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 25-0.
  • H.R. 7189, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024, led by Reps. Bilirakis, Soto, Carter, Schiff, Salazar, and Cárdenas, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 24-0.
  • H.R. 7208, the Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2024, led by Reps. Pascrell and Bacon, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by voice vote.
  • H.R. 7218, the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act of 2024, led by Reps. Guthrie, Tonko, C. Smith, and Waters, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 25-0.
  • H.R. 7224, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program, led by Reps. Cohen, Wagner, Cárdenas, and Carter, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 24-0. 
  • H.R. 7251, the Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024, led by Reps. Chavez-DeRemer, Joyce, Davis, and Cherfilus-McCormick, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 23-0.
  • H.R. 7406, the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2024, led by Reps. McMorris Rodgers, DeGette, Cole, and Holmes Norton, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by voice vote.
  • H.R. 5012, the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023, led by Reps. Y. Kim and Castor, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by voice vote.
  • H.R. 3916, the SCREENS for Cancer Act of 2023, led by Reps. Morelle and Fitzpatrick, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 24-0.
On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a markup of the following four bills to secure American communications networks from foreign adversaries:
  • H.R. 2864, the Countering CCP Drones Act, led by Rep. Stefanik, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 21 Yeas to 0 Nays.
  • H.R. 820, the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act, led by Rep. Stefanik, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 22 Yeas to 0 Nays.
  • H.R. 1513, the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhancing Networks (FUTURE Networks) Act, led by Rep. Matsui, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 23 Yeas to 0 Nays. 
  • H.R. 7589, the Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security (ROUTERS) Act, led by Rep. Latta, was forwarded, without amendment, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 23 Yeas to 0 Nays.
The Full House passed the Energy and Commerce bill H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act by a vote of 352 - 65.

 
Financial Services

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Chairman Patrick McHenry’s (NC-10) H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital Act with bipartisan support. H.R. 2799 will facilitate capital formation by strengthening our public markets, helping small businesses and entrepreneurs, and creating new opportunities for all investors. 


On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, led by Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), held a hearing titled "Mission Critical: Restoring National Security as the Focus of Defense Production Act Reauthorization." Members probed witnesses on the ways the Committee can identify appropriate solutions that Congress could implement in the next reauthorization by discussing the history and mechanics of the DPA, how it has been deployed, and how it could be focused, modernized, and improved.


On March 13, McHenry issued a statement applauding the U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. This commonsense legislation would facilitate the largest ever outbound investment involving China—the exact type of transaction some so-called ‘hawks’ want to restrict.

On Wednesday, March 13, the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion, led by Chairman French Hill (AR-02), held a hearing titled "Bureaucratic Overreach or Consumer Protection? Examining the CFPB’s Latest Action to Restrict Competition in Payments." Lawmakers pressed witnesses on the CFPB’s proposal regarding ‘larger participants’ in the general-use digital consumer payment applications market.

 
Foreign Affairs

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing called "Going Nuclear on Rosatom: Ending Global Dependence on Putin’s Nuclear Energy Sector." The hearing examined the necessity of decoupling from Russian state-owned nuclear enterprise, Rosatom, including through the use of sanctions.




Homeland Security
 
On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a hearing entitled "Organizational Oversight: Examining TSA’s Post-Modernization Efforts." Witnesses provided insight into the functionality of the agency’s structure, how workforce satisfaction and attrition impact security, and concerns over technology implementation timelines.


On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence held a roundtable for members of the Committee to hear from key experts and stakeholders regarding the activities of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, while exploring potential legislative reforms.


House Administration
 
On Monday, March 11, the Subcommittee on Oversight released an “Interim Findings Report” on his investigation into the events of January 6 and the politicization of the January 6 Select Committee.




On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing entitled "Three Years Later: Assessing the Law Enforcement Response to Multiple Pipe Bombs on January 6, 2021." U.S. Capitol Police’s Assistant Chief Gallagher testified alongside former WMATA K-9 officer Michael Keim, retired FBI agent Barry Black, and United States Bomb Technician Association’s Sean Dennis.


House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
 
On Tuesday, March 12, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held its 2024 Annual Threat Assessment Hearing with leaders of the Intelligence Community. In Chairman Mike Turner’s opening remarks, he emphasized that the threats facing the United States have increased over the past several years and that U.S. adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are working together to undermine America and its allies on the world stage.


In her opening statement, Director of National Intelligence Haines highlighted how the global threat environment is deeply interconnected. Additionally, Director Haines called for the United States to rise to the challenge in the face of rising authoritarianism and international conflicts.


Judiciary
 
On Tuesday, March 12, the Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing called "Hearing on the Report of Special Counsel Robert K. Hur," to examine Special Counsel Hur's findings in his investigation of the possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records discovered in President Biden's personal possession. Special Counsel Hur concluded that although President Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials as a private citizen," criminal charges were not warranted because, among other things, President Biden is an "elderly man with a poor memory."






Natural Resources

On Tuesday, March 12, the Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee markup on the following bills:
  • H.R. 1657, the Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2023 (Stauber)
  • H.R. 2468, the Mountain View Corridor Completion Act (Owens)
  • H.R. 4389, the Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2023 (Salazar)
  • H.R. 4524, the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act (Newhouse)
  • H.R. 5443, the Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts Act or the AACE Act (Lee)
  • H.R. 5582, the White Oak Resilience Act (Barr)
  • H.R. 5665, the Promoting Accessibility on Federal Lands Act of 2023 (Stansbury)
  • H.R. 6235, the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2023 (Bonamici)
  • H.R. 6342, the Military and Veterans in Parks Act or the MVP Act (Kiggans)
  • H.R. 6368, the Indian Buffalo Management Act (LaMalfa)
  • H.R. 6862, To amend the FAST Act to include certain mineral production activities as a covered project, and for other purposes (Lamborn)
  • H.R. 7072, the Wabeno Economic Development Act of 2024 (Tiffany)
This markup advanced a variety of legislation that promotes innovative solutions to some of the committee's highest priorities this Congress. Specifically, Rep. Lamborns H.R. 6862 will unleash America’s mineral supply chain and continue to allow our nation to use our resources to secure our supply chains and our national security. Additionally the markup advanced 11 other bills covering a wide variety of important issues, from improving veterans' access to our national parks to supporting law enforcement officers on tribal lands.

Oversight and Accountability

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing titled “The Power Struggle: Examining the Reliability and Security of America’s Electrical Grid,” to examine ongoing threats and challenges to affordable, reliable power to the United States. At the hearing, lawmakers discussed how Biden Administration actions to rapidly expand electric-power demand while simultaneously reducing baseload capacity make the electrical grid less stable, less affordable, and more vulnerable to threats.


On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation held a hearing titled “Addressing Real Harm Done by Deepfakes.” Subcommittee members discussed how the nonconsensual distribution of AI-enhanced intimate images and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is proliferating on the internet and social media sites, overwhelmingly victimizing women and children. Subcommittee members emphasized the need to plug gaps in existing federal and state laws, which are generally aimed at pornographic images and video of actual people – not realistic looking digital forgeries of identifiable individuals.


Rules

This week, the Rules Committee advanced measures to demand that President Biden use his authorities to address the surging border crisis (H. Res. 1065) and improve oversight of federal office space (H.R. 6276). Members highlighted how President Biden didn’t inherit the current chaos we see at the southern border—he created it. They outlined the many executive actions he took to dismantle border security and reiterated that he could act immediately to stop the chaos. The same pen that started the crisis could be used to reverse it. Representatives also discussed the importance of cutting waste and saving taxpayer dollars by reducing the federal property footprint of spaces that are underutilized.






Science, Space, and Technology

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing called "Bridging the Valley of Death: ARPA-E's Role in Developing Breakthrough Technologies.” During the hearing, Members and witnesses discussed how ARPA-E helps to accelerate the development of cutting-edge energy technologies and how Congress may reform ARPA-E to further align with DOE’s main mission.


Small Business

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations held a hearing called "Navigating Regulations: Alternative Pathways to Investing in Small Businesses." During the hearing, members heard from small business owners how private equity has allowed them to grow and expand their businesses more quickly compared to traditional loans. Witnesses emphasized the negative impacts of overregulation, making it more difficult for small businesses in certain sectors to get off the ground.






Transportation and Infrastructure

On Tuesday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing to examine the expanded use of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources where Subcommittee members heard from FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell. Members asked Administrator Criswell and the other witnesses about the states’ overreliance on FEMA resources for incidents they should be able to handle themselves, the Agency’s increased role in responding to non-traditional disasters, and FEMA’s COVID-19 funding assistance programs that lost billions of dollars due fraud and improper payments.






Veterans Affairs

On Wednesday, March 13, the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees held a joint hearing entitled, "Legislative Presentation of The American Legion & Multiple Veteran Service Organizations: Jewish War Veterans of the USA, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Military Officers Association of America, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, the National Congress of American Indians, Vietnam Veterans of America, National Guard Association of the United States, and Fleet Reserve Association.” The national commander of The American Legion and leaders of the other veteran service organizations presented their priorities for the year. They highlighted the importance of preventing veteran suicide, combating antisemitism, establishing a uniform and fair definition of “Gold Star Family,” finishing the committees’ forthcoming legislative package, housing homeless veterans,  providing resources to local veteran service officers, making housing and loan assistance to Native Americans and Alaska Natives more accessible, finally identifying and returning all missing servicemembers from the Vietnam War, establishing parity in benefits for Guard members and Reservists, and implementing the PACT Act effectively. Chairman Bost thanked the witnesses for supporting language enacted in the VA appropriations bill to protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights and for supporting the forthcoming legislative package, particularly the provisions increasing resources for caregivers, elderly veterans, and veterans who need housing.

Ways and Means

On Tuesday, March 12, the Committee on Ways and Means held a full committee hearing titled “Enhancing Access to Care at Home in Rural and Underserved Communities.” Medicare patients who receive at-home care shared their stories of how both their health and quality of life have improved. Under the Hospital at Home and telehealth flexibilities granted by Congress but which are set to expire at the end of 2024, millions of patients are now benefitting from the convenience of getting health care in their home. Because rural, remote, and underserved areas largely lack adequate health care services, Americans living in these communities can greatly benefit from expanded health care at home. The witnesses who provide at-home, virtual care testified to the difference it has made for their patients – fewer emergency room and inpatient visits, and improved vital signs, to name a few.