Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of May 13, 2024
Washington,
May 17, 2024
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Appropriations On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a budget hearing called "Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the Federal Trade Commission." The Administrator of the FTC addressed the issues and concerns of the Subcommittee Members, including the government overreach of prohibiting company mergers and how the desired budget increase would be allocated. On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a budget hearing called "Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the Federal Communications Commission." Agency officials from the FCC met with Appropriators to discuss what they are doing to provide rural areas with reliable and consistent internet connection. It was also discussed how the FCC plans to implement the correct designation of call centers for 9-1-1 and suicide hotline calls. Armed Services Pay for junior enlisted servicemembers has failed to keep pace with inflation and has not remained competitive with the private sector. The FY25 NDAA will boost pay for junior enlisted servicemembers; increase the Basic Allowance for Housing; and improve the calculation for the Cost of Living Allowance and the Basic Allowance for Subsistence. China is the most pressing threat our nation faces. Deterring China will require a strong and capable defense. The FY25 NDAA will support the continued modernization of our nuclear deterrent, strengthen our Navy, accelerate innovation, boost readiness, and crack down on CCP espionage. Budget On Thursday, May 16, the House Budget Committee held a full committee markup to consider the following legislation:
Education and the Workforce On Wednesday, May 15, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a full committee hearing called "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Health and Human Services." Committee Republicans highlighted HHS’s reckless spending proposals and efforts to prop up the failing Obamacare marketplaces, institute a price-setting scheme for prescription drugs, and saddle private insurance with more costly, burdensome regulations. Members also called out Becerra for waging a moral war against Americans’ religious freedoms, parental rights, the right to life, and those who want to protect children from elective, life-changing transgender medical procedures. Energy and Commerce On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials held a hearing called "The Fiscal Year 2025 Environmental Protection Agency Budget." Members discussed how the EPA’s heavy-handed regulatory agenda is crushing American businesses, driving up costs for the American people, and contributing to out-of-control inflation. This hearing is part of a strong oversight effort to reign in President Biden’s radical rush-to-green agenda and limit waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing called "The Fiscal Year 2025 National Telecommunications and Information Administration Budget." Members discussed how an effective NTIA is essential for U.S. technological and communications leadership. To secure that leadership, we must work together to encourage innovation and close the digital divide. NTIA must effectively and responsibly work to deploy broadband and achieve meaningful connectivity for every American. On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Health held a markup of 23 legislative proposals:
Financial Services On Friday, May 10, the House Committee on Rules publicly noticed its intent to consider the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century (FIT21) Act, clearing a pathway for a floor vote later this month. The FIT for the 21st Century Act is an important first step towards achieving regulatory clarity for digital assets. FIT21 provides the robust, time-tested consumer protections and regulatory certainty necessary to allow the digital asset ecosystem to flourish in the United States. On Tuesday, May 14, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), and U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to federal financial regulators urging them to implement their respective obligations under the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23 NDAA) in the timeline set forth by the FDTA. The lawmakers emphasized how doing so will improve the accessibility, uniformity, and usefulness of federal financial data for the public and facilitate the use of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). This will lead to increased transparency and greater market efficiencies. On Wednesday, May 15, the Financial Services Committee, led by Chairman McHenry, held a full committee hearing to conduct oversight of Biden’s prudential banking regulators. Republicans held Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chair Martin Gruenberg to account following the publication of Cleary Gottlieb’s independent report confirming allegations of rampant misconduct and a toxic workplace culture at the agency under his watch. Members also closely scrutinized regulators’ Basel III Endgame proposal among other partisan regulatory initiatives. On Thursday, May 16, the Financial Services Committee held a full committee markup of various measures. These include a slate of financial institutions, capital markets, and housing legislation to improve efficiency and accountability at federal agencies, as well as expand economic opportunity. The bills considered at Thursday’s markup include:
Foreign Affairs On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing called "Examining the Fiscal Year 2025 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request for Africa." During the hearing, Members questioned officials on the Biden administration’s budgetary priorities to promote U.S. engagement in Africa for FY 2025. On Thursday, May 16, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a full committee markup on the following legislation:
Homeland Security On Wednesday, May 15, the Committee on Homeland Security held a full committee hearing entitled, “Standing Strong on the Thin Blue Line: How Congress Can Support State and Local Law Enforcement.” The National Police Week hearing focused on how the Department of Homeland Security can facilitate partnerships with state and local law enforcement to increase public safety, fight crime and terrorism, and uphold the rule of law. On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a hearing entitled, “An Examination of the Transportation Security Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget.” TSA Administrator David Pekoske provided testimony and answered member’s questions regarding the Transportation and Security Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal. On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology and the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence held a joint hearing entitled, “Unmanned Aerial Systems and Emergency Response: The Impact of Drones and Other Emerging Technology on U.S. Law Enforcement.” In this National Police Week Hearing, members examined how first responders are using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, to improve public safety in communities throughout the nation, while considering possible security vulnerabilities and privacy concerns. On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability held a hearing entitled, “Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration.” Since October, over 27,000 Chinese nationals have illegally entered the U.S. This hearing was focused on the unprecedented flow of Chinese nationals across our borders—particularly between ports of entry along the Southwest border—and the national security implications of this historic influx. House Administration On Thursday, May 16, the Committee on House Administration held a full committee hearing entitled “American Confidence in Elections: Preventing Noncitizen Voting and Other Foreign Interference.” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence On Wednesday, May 15, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (OH-10) held a full committee open panel with the Hudson Institute’s Rebecca Heinrichs, the Atlantic Council’s Matthew Kroenig, and the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ Kari Bingen and Emily Harding about national security issues facing the United States. At the open panel, Rep. Austin Scott expressed concern about Russia supplanting the United States’ presence in Africa. Judiciary On Wednesday, May 15, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government held a hearing entitled, "Hearing on the Weaponization of the Federal Government," to examine the use of lawfare tactics to weaponize the rule of law. On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing called "Antisemitism on College Campuses," to examine antisemitic activity on college campuses throughout the country and responses by both federal and university leaders. On Thursday, May 16, the Judiciary Committee held a markup session to consider the following legislation: This markup worked on legislation to cite Attorney General Merrick Garland for contempt of Congress. Natural Resources On Monday, May 13, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight field hearing in Hayward, Wisconsin, titled “Improving Access and Opportunities for Hunting, Fishing, and Outdoor Recreation on America’s Federal Lands.” This hearing was a chance to hear from local community members and elected officials about the increasing barriers to access to federal lands. The decommissioning or closure of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) roads is a top concern for sportsmen and women, and the troubling data speaks for itself. Since 1991, the USFS has decommissioned an average of 2,000 miles of roads annually. On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2025 Budget Request for the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service.” BLM’s budget request fundamentally threatens the western way of life, jeopardizing American jobs dependent on access to public lands. In this hearing, members questioned the director of the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management about their budget requests. On Thursday, May 16, the Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee oversight hearing titled "Examining the Council on Environmental Quality Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request and Related Policy Matters." Biden has transformed CEQ's role from overseeing NEPA compliance to the entity charged with implementing his eco-agenda, remaking federal agencies as vehicles of social change and leading the war on domestic energy production. This hearing allowed members to question Mallory about CEQ's actions that vastly exceed its role and prescribed authority. On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held an oversight budget hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2025 Budget Proposal for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Power Marketing Administrations.” Over the past several years, Democrats have poured billions of dollars into the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) but the agency continues to request funding increases. The agency has pursued an agenda that limits access and places burdens on America’s landowners and ranchers. This hearing was a chance to question the administrators of these agencies. Oversight and Accountability On Wednesday, May 15, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation held a hearing called "Red Alert: Countering the Cyberthreat from China." Subcommittee members discussed how CCP-sponsored hacking efforts have become more sophisticated and coordinated, including its Volt Typhoon campaign that targets U.S. critical infrastructure. Expert witnesses discussed the urgent need to combat the threat by, for instance, replacing vulnerable legacy IT systems that serve as prime access points for hackers to infiltrate both public and private sector entities across America. On Wednesday, May 15, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee markup to consider a series of bills that address federal agency procurement of biotechnology equipment, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, improving federal cybersecurity, and more. These bills provide legislative solutions to protect Americans in a number of ways by defending sensitive healthcare data, securing federal contractor information systems, and guarding taxpayer dollars. The following bills passed:
On Thursday, May 16, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic held a hearing called "Overseeing the Overseers: A Hearing with NIH Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak." This hearing examined the National Institutes of Health’s process for funding and overseeing scientific research as well as delved into the NIH’s relationship with EcoHealth Alliance. This hearing came just one day after HHS accepted the Select Subcommittee’s recommendation to formally debar EcoHealth and immediately implement a government-wide suspension of U.S. taxpayer funds to this organization. On Thursday, May 16, the Oversight Committee held a full committee markup to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland for defying a subpoena requiring the Justice Department to produce the audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur. Rules On Tuesday, May 14, the Committee on Rules met on several measures to reaffirm the Republican commitment to our nation’s law enforcement and condemn the Biden Administration for their efforts to condition defense article to Israel:
Science, Space, and Technology On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing called "Oversight and Examination of the National Science Foundation’s Priorities for 2025 and Beyond." Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the NSF, and Dr. Dan Reed, Former Chair of the National Science Board, joined to discuss the agency's programs and priorities for the upcoming year. Members touched on topics including investments in STEM education and workforce development, the progress of NSF’s NAIRR Pilot Program, and steps the Foundation and the National Science Board have taken to address the unsafe culture and environment of the United States Antarctica Program. Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party On Monday, May 13, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party alongside U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) wrote to Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, calling on her administration to establish sister city ties with Taipei, Taiwan. On Thursday, May 16, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing titled "All Roads Lead to Beijing? The CCP's Global Development Offensive." Witnesses included Mr. David Trulio, President & Chief Executive Officer, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Mr. Daniel Runde, Senior Vice President, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Dr. Brad Parks, Executive Director of AidData, William & Mary's Global Research Institute. Small Business On Wednesday, May 15, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee hearing called "Under the Microscope: Reviewing Key SBA Programs with Associate Administrator Frost." During the hearing, members questioned Associate Administrator Frost about changes and decisions made by the SBA including granting a SBDC license to Funding Circle and rule changes to their flagship 7(a) Loan Program. Transportation and Infrastructure This week the House debated and passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation infrastructure and safety programs for five years. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support in a 387-26 vote. Additionally, this week the House passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation to strengthen, support, and authorize funding for the United States Coast Guard, one of the Nation’s six armed services. On Wednesday, May 15, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a full committee hearing on federal response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD. At the hearing, Members heard from witnesses from the United States Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board. Following the bridge collapse, President Biden announced his intention for the federal government to pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the Key Bridge. In his opening remarks, Chairman Graves said, “It is important that we have a firmer estimate before we take any further actions on the cost share. In addition, if the company that owned and operated the ship is found to be liable, we must make sure that the government actively works to recover any money it is owed. That could help offset the bridge funding or be used to make the people and companies who rely on and work at the Baltimore Harbor whole.” Veterans Affairs On Monday, May 13, the Health Subcommittee held a field hearing titled “Iowa: A Leader in Veteran Healthcare Innovation.” In attendance was the Veterans Health Administration's Assistant Under Secretary for Health at the Office of Discovery, Education, and Affiliate Networks, Dr. Carolyn Clancy. Accompanying her was Dr. Victoria Sharp, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Iowa City VA Healthcare System. Non-VA witnesses were Dr. Mahsaw Mansoor, a resident at the University of Iowa's Department of Ophthalmology, and Mr. Brandon Blankenship, Chief Technology Officer at Pro Circular. VA witnesses spoke on the unique initiatives and research that the Iowa City VA Healthcare System conducts in the region, Dr. Mansoor spoke on the advances that have been made in ophthalmology at University of Iowa, and Mr. Blankenship spoke on his experiences with the local VA medical center as well as veteran's entrepreneurship. During opening statements and questioning, Chairwoman Miller Meeks touched on areas where the Iowa City VA Medical Center has seen improvement and asked about barriers that veterans in the area face when accessing care. Ranking Member Brownley spoke on community care spending and the need for women veterans healthcare. On Tuesday, May 14, the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization held an oversight hearing titled “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Information and Technology Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2025.” During this hearing, the subcommittee examined the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2025 budget request for the VA Office of Information and Technology (OIT) which slashes development by 99% in order to maintain payroll. Republican members questioned the VA Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene as to whether the special salary rate he initiated, which amounts to a 17% raise for 85% of the workforce, has been successful in attracting superior talent and is sustainable for the organization. Chairman Rosendale demonstrated that the special salary rate has led to cuts in authorized headcount of several hundred positions, and a Silicon Valley hiring initiative fell far short of its target. Ranking Member Cherfilus-McCormick expressed alarm with the requested cuts to technology infrastructure and inadequate funding for cybersecurity. Rep. Self questioned Mr. DelBene about the permissiveness of his ethics waiver pertaining to Microsoft, his former employer of 30 years, and his interactions with the company, including in response to last year’s hack of senior government officials’ emails for which Microsoft has been cited for cascading security failures. On Thursday, May 16, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing titled “Ensuring VA’s Security: How Can Congress Best Support VA’s Law Enforcement?” focused on enhancing the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Police. The hearing addressed pressing challenges faced by the VA Police Force in safeguarding VA facilities nationwide and explored best practices from private industry and technology groups to assist VA’s measures to strengthen security operations. During their testimony, VA leaders explained VA’s progress in providing Police Officers needed resources and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) spoke to changes in law needed to retain VA Police Officers. Sentara Healthcare and Public Safety Broadband Technology Association provided insight from the private sector on security best practices and technologies including communication and metal detection technologies. Disabled American Veterans (DAV) highlighted support for Rep. Kiggans' VA Medical Security Report Act of 2023. Ways and Means On Wednesday, May 15, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a markup on the following bills:
The five bills approved by the Committee shutdown workarounds where foreign nationals were influencing American politics and policies, shine sunlight on foreign based funding being funneled through nonprofits, add transparency on grants made by tax-exempt organizations to foreign entities, prohibit tax-exempt entities from being used to fund state and local election organizations, and increase the penalties for the unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information. |