Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:

Appropriations

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Bill. The Subcommittee marked up its Fiscal Year 2025 bill, drafted by the Subcommittee Chairman Hal Rogers. The bill fights to end  the weaponization of our justice system, prioritizes local law enforcement, and supports initiatives that fight fentanyl and drug trafficking. The bill will continue to support American innovation and space exploration, while reigning in abuses of executive branch agencies.
 
On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill. Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt led his FY25 appropriations bill through the subcommittee markup process. This bill eliminates 57 programs and cuts funds for 48 others. It supports Pell Grants and charter school programs and aids state and local communities to combat substance abuse. The bill ensures that the House continues to uphold the right to life and protects our most vulnerable. 

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill. Led by Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack, Appropriators marked up the FY25 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bill, which prioritizes transportation safety across the nation. The bill fully funds air traffic control operations around the country, and upholds FAA necessary funds. The Subcommittee also ensured that housing assistance for vulnerable Americans was funded to fiscally responsible levels.

On Friday, June 28, the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill. The FY25 Interior and Environment bill, cutting EPA funding by 20%and supporting Native American communities, was considered by the Subcommittee. The bill, written by Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson, limits job killing regulations, supports American farmers and ranchers, and protects access to our public lands.

On Friday, June 28, the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies held a markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill. Ushered by Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann, the FY25 Energy and Water Appropriations Act was approved by the subcommittee. The bill provides over $20 billion for the modernization of our nuclear weapon stockpile and infrastructure and $2.4 billion to reduce the danger of hostile nations and terrorist organizations from acquiring nuclear programs. This bill ensures American superiority on the global stage, safeguards energy and technology assets from being used by foreign adversaries, such as Russia and China, and facilitates the efficient transport of goods and commodities through improvements and maintenance of ports and waterways. 

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Armed Services

On Thursday, June 27, Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) sent a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to immediately cease the failed Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) operation off the coast of Gaza. In the letter, Chairman Rogers wrote, “Three and a half months since the President’s announcement of a maritime corridor for Gaza and at least $230 million wasted, the operation has been riddled with setbacks, sidelined more often than operational, and can only be classified as a gross waste of taxpayer dollars.”

This week, Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Hampton Roads to engage with military officials and industry leaders on improving the quality of life for servicemembers and strengthening our Naval fleet. During the visit, members met with sailors serving on the USS Gerald R. Ford who recently returned deployment in the Mediterranean to deter aggression and support Israel’s right to self-defense. Additionally, members met with shipbuilders who are working to strengthen our Naval fleet and toured a privatized unaccompanied housing facility to see how privatized unaccompanied housing can be utilized in some areas to improve the quality of life for servicemembers.

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Budget

On Thursday June 27, the Committee held a roundtable entitled “The Age of Artificial Intelligence: Implications for the U.S. Economy and Government.”

On Friday, June 28, the Committee’s Health Care Task Force held a roundtable entitled “Paying for 21st Century Cures: Examining the Budgetary Effects of Increasing Patient Access for Cell and Gene Therapies.”

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Education and the Workforce

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing called "Combating Workplace Antisemitism in Postsecondary Education: Protecting Employees from Discrimination." Members heard testimony from Jewish faculty members who faced discrimination in their workplaces on college campuses, in potential violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing called "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Employee Benefits Security Administration." Under Assistant Secretary Lisa Gomez, costly EBSA rules are burdening American workers and retirees and are focused on political outcomes rather than returns for beneficiaries. The expensive regulations include—but are not limited to—a woke investment rule, an expansive fiduciary rule, and a myriad of stifling health care mandates.

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Energy and Commerce

On Tuesday, June 25, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing called "Examining Anti-Doping Measures in Advance of the 2024 Olympics." Members spoke with Olympians Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt about anti-doping measures ahead of the 2024 Olympics and ensuring that American athletes are not put at a competitive disadvantage. 
On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce held a hearing called "The Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Commerce Budget." Members discussed President Biden’s FY 2025 budget request for the Department of Commerce and how the Department of Commerce has a responsibility to support American businesses and American leadership in the global market. To ensure that the United States—not China—leads for generations to come, we must strengthen supply chains and expand our global leadership in emerging technologies.

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Financial Services

On Friday, June 21, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry (NC-10), issued a statement in response to the Department of the Treasury’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) implementing the White House’s Executive Order on outbound U.S. investment to China. “The Biden Administration should continue working to ensure this can be appropriately implemented. However, using a multi-year process to propose and stand up a new bureaucracy to regulate outbound investments lacks the urgency needed to confront the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Chairman McHenry.
On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy, led by Chairman Andy Barr (KY-06), held a hearing entitled "Stress Testing: What’s Inside the Black Box?" Lawmakers pressed witnesses on the Fed’s opaque stress testing process and ways to shine light on the underlying models and assumptions used in these tests.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, led by Chairman Warren Davidson (OH-08), held a hearing entitled "Housing Oversight: Testimony of the HUD and FHFA Inspectors General." Members brought accountability to HUD and FHFA through testimony from these agencies’ inspectors general.
On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, led by Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), held a hearing entitled "The Role of the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank of the United States Amid Intensifying Economic Competition with China." Lawmakers heard testimony from EXIM President Reta Jo Lewis who detailed EXIM’s operations and how President Lewis plans to enhance the Bank’s China and Transformational Exports Program, which Chairman McHenry secured in the 2019 Ex-Im reauthorization.

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, led by Chairman Ann Wagner (MO-02), held a hearing called "Solutions in Search of a Problem: Chair Gensler’s Equity Market Structure Reforms." Members examined equity market structure reforms put forward by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gensler that would fundamentally reshape American equity markets without adequately justifying the changes.

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Foreign Affairs

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing called "Analyzing the Fiscal Year 25 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request for Europe." During the hearing, members pressed the administration on the importance of the trans-Atlantic alliance, shined a light on China’s malign activities in the region, and underscored the need for strong U.S. leadership as Russia wages war in Europe.

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific held a hearing called "Properly Resourcing the Indo-Pacific in an Era of Great Power Competition." During the hearing, members emphasized the Chinese Communist Party’s increasingly aggressive diplomatic and military behavior across the Indo-Pacific, and scrutinized the Biden administration’s response to these challenges. Witnesses testified to the need for robust U.S. engagement and funding in the region. 

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere held a hearing called "The Curse of Socialism in Central America and the Caribbean." During the session, DAS Eric Jacobstein, the Deputy Assistant Secretary from the U.S. Department of State, and SDAA Greg Howell, the Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator from the U.S. Agency for International Development, discussed historical and current issues related to the impact of socialist policies on American interests in Central America and the Caribbean. It is important to thoroughly examine these critical issues as they pertain to U.S. foreign policy toward authoritarian regimes such as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Honduras, which have intentionally exacerbated regional challenges that directly affect U.S. prosperity and the international rules-based order.

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Homeland Security
 
On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on Homeland Security held a full committee hearing entitled, “Finding 500,000: Addressing America’s Cyber Workforce Gap.” There are more than 500,000 vacant cybersecurity jobs in America— a gap that presents a growing threat to our homeland security. This hearing examined the nation’s cybersecurity workforce shortage, solutions to grow the workforce, and help the United States maintain an edge in the cyber domain.
On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence held a hearing entitled, “Persistent Challenges: Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.” In this hearing, members examined the challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A), including its failure to share timely information, threats from our adversaries, and political bias. The hearing featured witness testimony from Undersecretary for I&A Ken Wainstein.
On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled, “Sector Down: Ensuring Critical Infrastructure Resilience.” Witnesses discussed the United States’ critical-infrastructure vulnerabilities and the role cyber insurance plays in planning, response, and recovery efforts.

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House Administration
 
On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on House Administration held a full committee hearing titled, “The U.S. Copyright Office: Customers, Communities, and Modernization Efforts.” U.S. Copyright Office Director Shira Perlmutter joined the Committee to discuss how the Copyright Office is modernizing, assisting customers, and engaging with stakeholders. The Copyright industry impacts roughly 16 million American jobs and is a critical lynchpin in the U.S. economy.

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House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
 
On Tuesday, June 25, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Judiciary Committee, and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released a joint interim staff report titled “The Intelligence Community 51: How CIA Contractors Colluded with The Biden Campaign to Mislead American Voters.”

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Judiciary

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust held a hearing called “Follow the Science?: Oversight of the Biden Covid-19 Administrative State Response,” to discuss the Subcommittee's oversight that found how the Biden Administration pressured the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to "cut corners" and lower agency standards to approve the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and authorize boosters.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing called “Radio, Music, and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists,” to examine why creators have traditionally not received royalty payments for the public performance of their creative works by nonsubscription terrestrial radio stations, as well as efforts to modernize copyright law. The hearing also explored competing legislative proposals, including the American Music Fairness Act of 2023, which would require a license for broadcasting creative works over the radio, and the Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act, which aims to prevent Congress from imposing fees, licenses, or other charges related to the public performance of sound recordings.

On Thursday, June 27, the Judiciary Committee held a markup session to consider the following legislation:

• H.R. 2833, the Pretrial Release Reporting Act (Fitzgerald)
• H.R. 144, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Definition of 'Engaged in the Business' as a Dealer in Firearms" (Clyde)
• H.R. 115, the Midnight Rules Relief Act (Biggs)
• H.R. 358, the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (Cline)
• Report Recommending that the House of Representatives Cite Mark Zwonitzer for Contempt of Congress (Jordan)

This markup worked on legislation that would recommend citing Mark Zwonitzer for contempt of Congress. The markup also worked on firearm legislation.

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Natural Resources

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 1208, To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes (Cole)
• H.R. 6180, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Lands Act (Carl)

This legislative hearing focused on bills that would seek to reaffirm the Secretary of the Interior to retake land into trust for any federally recognized tribe. The hearing also had witness Stephanie Bryan, the Tribal Chair of the Porch Creek Indians to testify on behalf of H.R. 6180. This piece of legislation would see this tribe covered by the IRA, reaffirming land previously taken into trust

On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee markup on the following bill:

• H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act (Westerman)

Over 117 million acres of our nation’s forests are overgrown, fire-prone and need active management. With wildfire season rapidly approaching, Chairman Bruce Westerman, with co-sponsor Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA), introduced the Fix Our Forests Act. This landmark piece of legislation cleared the committee and is on its way the House floor, seeking to end frivolous litigation, foster interagency collaboration, revitalize rural economies, strengthen Good Neighbor Authority and more.

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 6841, To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to allow the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Coastal and Estuarine Resilience Program, and for other purposes (Levin)
• H.R. 7925, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (D’Esposito)
• H.R. 8704, To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grant program to foster enhanced coexistence between ocean users and North Atlantic right whales and other large cetacean species (Carter)
• H.R. 8705, the Fisheries Data Modernization and Accuracy Act of 2024 (Graves)

This legislative hearing largely centered around the prevention of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expanding their vessel speed restriction rule, opting for the current regulation to remain enacted. There was also more discussion on NOAA reform, including the Marine Recreational Information Program and requiring NOAA to publish data related to federal waterways. 

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 390, the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Enhancement Act (Stefanik)
• H.R. 3971, the Flatside Wilderness Additions Act (Hill)
• H.R. 6826, To designate the visitor and education center at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine as the Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center (Mfume)
• H.R. 6843, To expand the boundaries of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to include Lafourche Parish, Louisiana (Scalise)
• H.R. 8206, To ensure that Big Cypress National Preserve may not be designated as wilderness or as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other purposes (Franklin)
• H.R. 8219, the Lahaina National Heritage Area Act (Tokuda)

This legislative hearing would seek to expand existing heritage areas while barring the federal government to acquire new land or impose new regulations. More discussion occurred on the approval or denial of thousands of wilderness acres being formally designated. This hearing had witnesses from the National Park Service, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, the Office of Outdoor Recreation in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a historian from the Town of Saratoga, New York.

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Oversight and Accountability

On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee hearing called "Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part II." At the hearing, experts detailed how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has successfully waged an influence and infiltration campaign that jeopardizes critical U.S. industries, including America’s military readiness, technology sector, financial markets, agriculture industry, intellectual property, and education systems. The Committee’s government-wide investigation into CCP political warfare has revealed federal agencies have failed to combat China’s dangerous tactics, and too much of the Washington bureaucracy appears unwilling to address the ongoing threat. Members stressed that the lives and security of all Americans are affected, and the Committee has a responsibility to ensure the federal government is taking every action necessary to protect Americans from the CCP’s political and economic warfare while equipping Americans for a secure and prosperous future.
On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce held a hearing called "Security at Stake: An Examination of DOD’s Struggling Background Check System," to examine how the Department of Defense (DOD) has fallen short in its mission to modernize the personnel vetting process with the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) system. At the hearing, both Republican and Democrat lawmakers expressed concern about the continued delays with the NBIS system and possible implications for our nation’s national security.

On Thursday, June 27, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee hearing called "Ending Illegal Racial Discrimination and Protecting Men and Women in U.S. Employment Practices." At the hearing, witnesses testified that U.S. companies are pushing unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a responsibility to investigate troubling DEI initiatives that are violating employees’ protected civil rights. Created by Congress, the EEOC has a duty to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against U.S. companies in instances where employment practices illegally discriminate on the basis of race. Further, the EEOC is advancing policies that dismiss its duty to protect women from sexual harassment and discrimination on the basis of sex in the workplace. Members pointed out how under the Biden Administration, the EEOC has failed to protect men and women in the workplace and hold companies accountable for discriminatory DEI practices.
On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation held a hearing called "Cutting Competition in Contracting: The Administration’s Pricey Project Labor Agreement Mandate." At the hearing, members exposed the Biden Administration’s project labor agreement rule that took effect in January. This rule is nothing more than a scheme to funnel billions of dollars in federal construction contracts to political allies. It ditches full and open competition, overrides the expertise of government acquisition professionals, wastes taxpayer dollars, delays crucial projects, and discriminates against the nearly nine in ten construction workers who aren’t in a union.

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Rules

On Tuesday, June 25, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures designed to restore American deterrence and national security in a world destabilized by President Biden’s failed leadership:

• H.R. 8752, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025 (Amodei)
• H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025 (Diaz-Balart)
• H.R. 8774, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025 (Calvert)

Specifically, Members discussed the ever-evolving nature of President Biden’s border crisis and the toll it has taken on American communities. They detailed how H.R. 8752 would respond by making a much-needed downpayment on the border wall and funding illegal immigrant removal operations. The discussion turned to geopolitical stability and how the world has become more dangerous since the President entered office. Members outlined how H.R. 8774 would support our warfighters and remove any distractions from their core mission of winning wars. They also described how H.R. 8771 was designed to reinvigorate diplomacy and aid to our allies while balancing the need to reduce federal spending in light of the deficit.

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Science, Space, and Technology

On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee hearing called "An Overview of the Budget Proposal for the Department of Energy for Fiscal Year 2025." The Department’s Deputy Secretary, David M. Turk, joined to discuss and answer questions on DOE’s FY25 budget request to Congress and the impact this proposed funding could have on civilian research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs at the Department.

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Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party

On Wednesday, June 26, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing called "From High Tech to Heavy Steel: Combatting the PRC's Strategy to Dominate Semiconductors, Shipbuilding, and Drones."

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Small Business

On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee hearing called "Under the Microscope: Examining the Censorship-Industrial Complex and its Impact on American Small Businesses." During the hearing, members heard from witnesses how taxpayer funded entities were interfering with the ability of small businesses to compete in the online marketplace. Witnesses highlighted how the Biden Administration is using taxpayer dollars to proxy censor online speech they disagree with.

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Transportation and Infrastructure

On Wednesday, June 26, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a full committee markup where Members approved the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), legislation that authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works Program for projects to improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other aspects of our water resources infrastructure.

WRDA (H.R. 8812) was introduced in the House by T&I Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), T&I Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-NC), and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano (D-CA).
On Thursday, June 27, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared before the full T&I Committee at an oversight hearing entitled “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request.” At the hearing, Members questioned Secretary Buttigieg about a range of topics, including the slow distribution of funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Federal Highway Administration’s proposed greenhouse gas emissions rule, the Administration’s focus on pushing electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and more.

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Veterans Affairs

On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held an oversight hearing titled “Examining Shortcomings with VA’s National Work Queue Veterans Benefits Claims Management System.” The hearing examined the VA’s National Work Queue (NWQ) system's shortcomings in properly managing the VA’s claims for benefits workload. GOP members highlighted issues with employees not learning from their errors and the mismanagement of special claims like military sexual trauma (MST) claims and survivors' claims, leading to significant backlogs. GOP members emphasized the need for stronger monitoring and adjustments to the NWQ to ensure timely claim processing. They called for improved training for employees handling complex claims and better communication between regional offices to mitigate delays and errors, ultimately aiming to provide better service to veterans and their families.
On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Health held an oversight hearing titled “The Continuity of Care: Assessing the Structure of VA’s Healthcare Network.” In attendance were the Veterans Health Administration's Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health Operations, Mr. Al Montoya; Mr. Ryan Lilly, Director of the Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) New England Healthcare System (VISN 1); Dr. Julie Kroviak, Principal Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Healthcare Inspections from the VA's Office of Inspector General; and Dr. Ken Kizer, former VA Under Secretary for Health. The hearing addressed critical issues related to governance, accountability, and performance within VISNs. Discussions highlighted concerns about the current governance model, questioning how it affects decision-making and service delivery, and whether roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. The subcommittee examined the effectiveness of existing oversight mechanisms and explored ways to enhance them for better accountability and outcomes for veterans. The hearing underscored the critical need for the Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Elnahal, to implement a policy that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of VISN leadership. Chairwoman Miller-Meeks emphasized the importance of this directive and requested VA's commitment to publish it within the year.

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a markup on the following legislation:

• H.R. 226, the Veterans Collaboration Act (Wittman)
• H.R. 7543, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2024 (Levin)
• H.R. 7896, the Veterans Education and Technical Skills Opportunity Act of 2024 (Ciscomani)
• H.R. 7920, the Agricultural Grants for Veterans Education and Training Services Act (Van Orden)
• H.R. 8514, To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an annual increase in stipend for books, supplies, equipment, and other educational costs under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of Department of Veterans Affairs (Vasquez)
• H.R. 8560, the End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2024 (Takano)
• H.R. 8592, the Warriors to Workforce Act (Van Orden)
• H.R. 8627, the Student Veteran Debt Relief Act of 2024 (Davis)
• H.R. 8646, the Modernizing the Veterans On-Campus Experience Act of 2024 (Van Orden)
• H.R. 8647, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act (Van Orden)
• H.R. 8661, the Reforming Education for Veterans Act (James)

The bills considered would modernize the Post-9/11 GI Bill by increasing the monthly housing allowance benefit for Apprenticeship and On-the-Job Training, would provide increased protections for both National Guard and Reservists attending schools, and would allow VA employees to do the work they were hired to do as Veteran-Success on Campus Employees. Additionally, this markup included legislation that would protect student veterans from VA going after debts that are not the fault of the student veteran. Finally, some of the legislation considered today would improve the VA Home Loan Program, increase data reporting in the VA Homeless Program Office, and encourage VA and schools to collaborate to provide legal services to veterans in need of assistance. Republicans favor these bills as they improve the veterans experience at schools, reduce red tape when an individual uses the GI Bill, and protect American taxpayers from risky VA housing programs.

On Thursday, June 27, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held an oversight hearing titled “Exploring the Use of Data-Driven Methods and Community Collaboration to Reduce Veteran Homelessness.” This hearing covered the need for greater data collection and community collaboration between community stakeholders and VA. Committee staff heard from witnesses about the need to streamline both the systems used to monitor veteran homelessness across the country and the administrative burden of physically entering the data into these systems. Witnesses also stressed the need for more flexible funding without automatically increasing the budget. Republicans believe this hearing is important because it highlighted alternative solutions to increasing the budget and focused on making government programs and services more efficient and effective for homeless veterans.

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Ways and Means

On Wednesday, June 26, the Committee on Ways and Means held a full committee hearing titled “Strengthening Child Welfare and Protecting America’s Children.” Witnesses urged the Committee to pursue reforms that would help the program better serve children and families in crisis. The hearing comes as the Committee has conducted a year-long review of Title IV-B to examine how it can better meet current needs and challenges. Witnesses, including former foster youth, lived experience advocates, and child welfare experts, identified areas ripe for reform, including kinship care, the caseworker shortage, administrative burden, and unfair barriers faced by Native American tribes. At the hearing, Paris Hilton shared her story of experiencing physical and psychological abuse at a congregate care treatment facility while a teenager and called on Congress to deliver on important reforms to the child welfare and foster youth programs. Since her experience, Ms. Hilton has used her national platform to advocate for change.
On Wednesday, June 26, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing titled “Improving Value-Based Care for Patients and Providers.” The current fee-for-service model led to higher Medicare spending, failed to measurably improve patient health, and contributed to physician burnout. Value-based care (VBC), which pays medical providers for patient outcomes, is a promising payment model that could improve patient health and rein in Medicare spending. Witnesses agreed that though the model continues to show promise, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is failing to implement the model in a way that allows improved health outcomes to be realized. For instance, in the last decade, only four of 49 VBC models have been greenlit for expansion by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Consequently, a program initially estimated to save taxpayers money is now projected to cost $1.3 billion during the 2020s.

• H.R. 1691, the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2023 (Wenstrup)
• H.R. 2407, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (Arrington)
• H.R. 8816, the American Medical Innovation and Investment Act (Buchanan)
• H.R. 4818, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2023 (Wenstrup)