Press Releases
Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of July 22, 2024
Washington,
July 26, 2024
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Agriculture On Tuesday, July 23, the Committee on Agriculture held a full committee hearing called "Financial Conditions in Farm Country." Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s “leadership” farm incomes are facing their largest decline in history. Rising input prices on diesel, fertilizer, and more further cut into the profit margins of our farmers and have helped fuel higher food prices at the grocery store. Furthermore, by the end of 2024, total farm sector debt will be the highest the U.S. has seen since at least 1970. The panel of witnesses warned of the dire outlook facing commodity markets and impending economic consequences for the nation’s agriculture supply chain absent substantial course correction. Panelists, which included a producer, a lender, input supplier, and an Extension economist, outlined plummeting crop prices, escalating input costs, worsening credit conditions, and sustained natural disasters among a “perfect storm” of factors facing farm country, and urged policymakers to “head off the economic hemorrhaging” through enactment of enhanced risk management tools.   On Thursday, July 25, the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development held a hearing called "Reauthorizing the CFTC: Stakeholder Perspectives." At this hearing, the Committee received testimony from derivatives market stakeholders regarding the reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Subcommittee aims to understand the current challenges, opportunities, and needs within the derivatives markets in relation to the Commodity Exchange Act. The testimony provided will inform the legislative process, ensuring the CFTC can effectively fulfill its mission to promote the integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of U.S. derivatives markets. Armed Services On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces and the Subcommittee on Readiness held a joint hearing on mobility aircraft connectivity capabilities, which are crucial for ensuring success on future battlefields. In his opening statement, Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) said, “Our mobility forces are unmatched in the world and provide a significant advantage over our adversaries. However, unlike in the past, our mobility forces will be operating in a contested environment. It is imperative that our forces can communicate across long distances.” Additionally, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) highlighted the importance of ensuring secure and resilient connectivity for our mobility forces saying, “In today’s contested environments, maintaining reliable communication is not just a convenience—it’s a necessity.” Education and the Workforce On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development and the Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing called “Investigating how the Biden Administration Ignored Cries for Help from Students at Haskell Indian Nations University.” This joint hearing follows numerous allegations of misconduct, bullying, and sexual harassment at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU). What’s more, the Office of Inspector General released a scathing investigation earlier this month that reveals a potential attempt by the Bureau of Indian Education to cover up the scandals. Republicans used the hearing to highlight that the Biden-Harris administration has turned its back on the students at HINU, allowing dysfunction and misconduct to continue unchecked.    On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing called “Safeguarding Workers and Employers from OSHA Overreach and Skewed Priorities.” The Biden-Harris Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is pushing controversial regulatory actions that have done little to improve workplace safety while wreaking havoc on job creators across the country. Republicans called out the Biden-Harris OSHA for pushing mandates that are based on politics, not on keeping workers safe. Energy and Commerce On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security held a hearing called "The Fiscal Year 2025 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Budget." Members discussed the important role that nuclear energy plays in securing U.S. energy leadership and powering the future with clean, affordable, and reliable energy. With the much needed ADVANCE Act recently signed into law, members discussed the next steps to ensure the NRC is implementing the law effectively to secure American energy leadership.  On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing called "Are CDC's Priorities Restoring Public Trust and Improving the Health of the American People?" Members discussed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) priorities to ensure it is working to regain the public’s trust, instead of focusing on issues like climate change and social determinants of health. The CDC’s core mission must always be to protect the health and wellbeing of the American people.  On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce held a hearing called "The Fiscal Year 2025 Consumer Product Safety Commission Budget." Members discussed the importance of the CPSC adhering to its mission of product safety, rather than allowing the Biden administration to steer the commission towards its radical rush-to-green agenda. Members focused on returning the commission back to its true mission, and away from banning gas-powered appliances, which millions of American households rely on. On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security held a hearing called "The Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Budget." Members discussed the Biden administration’s anti-energy agenda, which is threatening to close reliable baseload energy sources and replace them with more expensive, butless reliable sources. Energy and Commerce Republicans want FERC to return to its core value of securing American energy leadership and preserving access to affordable, reliable energy.  Financial Services Last week, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry (NC-10), and Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-43) released a staff report from the Committee’s bipartisan Working Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI), led by Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion Subcommittee Chairman French Hill (AR-02) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08). This report is the culmination of six roundtables focused on identifying existing and growing AI use cases across the financial services and housing industries, including the range of benefits and potential risks the technology poses, and the hurdles to adopting the technology. On Monday, July 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan financial services legislation to combat the use of financial technology for illicit finance and bring long overdue accountability to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The financial services bills passed by the House include:
  On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, led by Chairman Warren Davidson (OH-08), held a hearing entitled "Housing Solutions: Cutting Through Government Red Tape." Members explored ways to reduce regulatory barriers to make it easier to bring new housing units online and available for Americans.  Foreign Affairs On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia and the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific held a joint hearing called "Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for South and Central Asian Affairs." Members discussed efforts to promote security and stability in South and Central Asia, including efforts to counter malign actors such as the PRC and Russia, and advance democratic and economic reforms. Members also discussed the future of security and counterterrorism efforts in the region after the Biden Administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing called "A Look at U.S. Policy in Georgia and Moldova Ahead of Their 2024 Elections." During the hearing, Members pressed administration officials on Russian and Chinese influence in Georgia and Moldova, the oppressive law on “foreign agents” adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party, and future U.S. policy plans to engage with both countries. On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a hearing called "Latin America Forgotten: A Look at President Biden’s FY 2025 Budget Priorities." During the session, Brian Nichols, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Julieta Valls Noyes, the Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, and USAID Acting Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Michael Camilleri, discussed their respective agencies’ Fiscal Year 2025 budget request for the Western Hemisphere and how they advance U.S. foreign policy objectives. It is important to analyze the administration’s budget priorities as their out-of-touch policies do not adequately address the multi-faceted challenges and competition from our adversaries in the region.    Homeland Security On Tuesday, July 23, the Committee on Homeland Security held a full committee hearing entitled, “Examining the Assassination Attempt of July 13.” In the hearing, Members heard valuable testimony from Colonel Christopher Paris, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, and learned more about the numerous failures in communication and information sharing between the Secret Service and local law enforcement surrounding the rally, including Secret Services’ failure to provide them with an operations plan even 10 days after the attack.  This hearing occurred one day after a bipartisan group of Committee Members visited the site of the assassination attempt against former President Trump as part of their investigation into the security failures that unfolded on July 13.  On Wednesday, July 24, the Committee on Homeland Security held a full committee hearing entitled, “From Drug Interdictions in the Caribbean to National Security Patrols in the Arctic: Examining U.S. Coast Guard’s Role in Securing the Homeland.” This hearing featured witness testimony from U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda L. Fagan. Members asked questions about the USCG’s progress in growing its polar security cutter fleet, which has fallen five years behind, its cybersecurity efforts, and its work in combating illegal fishing.  House Administration On Tuesday, July 23, the Committee on House Administration held a full committee hearing titled, “Congress in a Post-Chevron World.” On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent and reversed the Chevron Doctrine decision. A panel of expert witnesses testified in front of the Committee on House Administration on what Congress's next steps should be now that power has been restored to the Legislative Branch.  House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence On Thursday, July 25, Congressman Brad Wenstrup, member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, and Senator Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, participated in a series of fireside chats about countering foreign influence operations on U.S. soil hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s Center on Civility and Democracy in coordination with Freedom House.  Judiciary On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held a hearing called “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons,” to examine the Bureau of Prison's (BOP) operations, management, and staffing challenges. The hearing also examined allegations of disparate treatment of inmates in BOP custody for political reasons and reports that BOP is denying Members of this Committee the ability to meet and speak with inmates in BOP custody. On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing called "IP Litigation and the U.S. International Trade Commission," to examine intellectual property (IP) litigation in the United States, focusing mainly on the role of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) as a forum for adjudicating IP cases. The hearing also examined how USITC cases fit into the overall IP system, IP-related issues raised by USITC's IP docket, and recent developments relevant to the USITC and IP litigation. On Wednesday, July 24, the Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing called "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" to examine the FBI’s investigation into the assassination attempt against President Trump and the ongoing politicization of the nation's preeminent law enforcement agency under the direction of FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.  Natural Resources On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a joint oversight hearing titled “Investigating how the Biden Administration Ignored Cries for Help from Students at Haskell Indian Nations University.” Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU or “Haskell”), the only four-year university operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), with federal support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), has been plagued by reports of widespread dysfunction and serious misconduct—including theft, fraud, and sexual assault—at the university. A BIE investigation and report, detailing serious allegations and findings of wrongdoing at HINU, was buried until the agency was legally compelled to publicly produce it. Even then, BIE produced a heavily redacted version. On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
  Oversight and Accountability On Monday, July 22, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee hearing called "Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump." At the hearing, Republican and Democrat members pressed U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for answers on the egregious security lapses that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump, the murder of an innocent victim, and harm to others in the crowd at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Director Cheatle could not or refused to answer basic questions from Committee members, leading Republican and Democrat members to call for Director Cheatle’s immediate resignation. The day after the hearing, Director Cheatle resigned.   On Tuesday, July 23, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee hearing called "The Role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Prescription Drug Markets Part III: Transparency and Accountability." At the hearing, Republicans and Democrats pressed Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) chief executives on their role in rising prescription drug costs. Lawmakers exposed how PBMs have collaborated to monopolize the pharmaceutical marketplace and push deliberate, anticompetitive policies that undermine local pharmacies, raise the cost of lifesaving drugs, and harm patients across the country. Earlier today, Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a report on the Committee’s investigation of PBMs which details the self-benefiting pricing tactics used by the PBM industry. Lawmakers concluded Congress must continue working in a bipartisan fashion to address harmful PBM practices and advance legislative solutions to protect patients and reduce drug costs.  On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce held a hearing called "Oversight of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency" to examine the processes and procedures within the Council for Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) as it seeks to fulfill its mission to address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues at individual government agencies through Inspector General (IG) oversight. On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs held a hearing called "Wasteful Spending and Inefficiencies: Examining DoD Platform Performance and Costs." Members discussed how stronger oversight and enforcement mechanisms, such as increased data analytic tools, are needed to steer the Department of Defense (DoD) towards better management of taxpayer dollars across DoD programs. Members also discussed how overloaded regulations and general bureaucracy has led to a shrinking military contractor base used by DoD which has limited avenues for contracts, stifled competition, and increased prices. On Thursday, July 25, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation held a hearing called "Enhancing Cybersecurity by Eliminating Inconsistent Regulations." Members discussed how companies operating in critical areas like energy, financial services, transportation and the defense industrial base are subject to conflicting or inconsistent federal regulations, forcing them to divert resources away from the prevention of cyberattacks and toward ineffective compliance measures. Members emphasized that cybersecurity regulatory harmonization is needed to redress the problem. Rules On Monday, July 22, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:
As part of our original jurisdiction, we also brought H. Res. 1367 to the floor, which provided for the establishment of a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump.    Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations held a hearing called "The Great Firewall and the CCP’s Export of its Techno-Authoritarian Surveillance State." On Tuesday, July 23, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party's Critical Minerals Policy Working Group, led by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), held its third meeting to examine the intersection of forced labor and sustainability in the mining of critical minerals. The roundtable explored policies aimed at reducing dependence on entities involved in forced labor violations around the world and highlighted opportunities for the U.S. and its allies to collaborate on addressing forced labor issues. On Wednesday, July 24, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party's Fentanyl Policy Working Group, led by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), held its third meeting to discuss how the United States can counteract People's Republic of China (PRC) money laundering and illicit finance, which facilitates the flow of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors to the United States. Small Business On Tuesday, July 23, the Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure and the Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a joint hearing called "Leveling the Playing Field: Examining the Landscape of Veteran Owned Small Businesses." During the hearing, members examined the hurdles that veterans face when starting their own small business and what resources there are available to assist them. They also discussed what programs are available to veteran owned small businesses and potential ways to improve upon them. On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations held a hearing called "Executive Overreach: Examining the SBA’s Electioneering Efforts with Associate Administrator of Office of Field Operations, Jennifer Kim." During this hearing, members had the opportunity to directly question the signer of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Michigan Department of State (MDOS). Members questioned Associate Administrator Kim as to why the SBA’s “nonpartisan” voter registration program has disproportionately targeted Democrat areas.    Transportation and Infrastructure On Monday, July 22nd, the House overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2024 by a vote of 359 to 13. WRDA 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.  On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency held a hearing called "Examining the Effectiveness of the Federal Protective Service: Are Federal Buildings Secure?" Since 2019, there have been nearly 1,000 assaults at federal facilities and almost 7,000 arrests. At the hearing, Members questioned witnesses from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the General Service Administration (GSA) about the findings of the recent GAO study on building security and the state of the Federal Protective Service’s protection of our nation’s federal buildings.  In the afternoon, the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing to examine the state of rail safety in the aftermath of the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Subcommittee Members took the opportunity to question representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board, the Biden Administration, labor groups, and other stakeholders about the incident and subsequent legislative safety proposals. On Wednesday, July 24, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing to discuss the Department of Transportation’s regulatory and administrative agenda. In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford said, “Since President Biden took office, we’ve heard frequently from stakeholders spanning all regions and industries about the burden of this administration’s onerous regulatory agenda.” Additionally, Rep. Crawford pointed to an analysis by the National Association of Manufacturers that found that federal regulations cost the United States economy more than $3 trillion. Subcommittee Members raised questions about the Administration’s continued attempts at implementing crushing regulations, including those that exceed its statutory authority.  Veterans Affairs On Monday, July 22, the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization held an oversight hearing titled “Report Card: Assessing Electronic Health Record Modernization at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.” During this hearing, the subcommittee examined the Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago’s performance since implementing the Oracle Cerner Electronic Health Record (EHR) on March 9, 2024. Chairman Rosendale acknowledged the hard work by the facility’s leaders and staff to manage the systems’ myriad challenges, but expressed his concern about the additional personnel (as many as 216, a 7% increase) needed and the EHR's negative impact on productivity. Chairman Rosendale went on to question the VA witnesses about the true cost to finish implementing and operate the Oracle Cerner EHR, which totals $55 billion over 28 years according to an independent life cycle cost estimate, and its potential impact on VA medical facilities’ staffing costs, which may be between $3.5 billion and $10 billion according to Committee calculations. The VA witnesses admitted they have never done a study of the medical staffing costs and have not incorporated the independent life cycle estimate into their own budget. Representative Self questioned the value of continuing to implement the Oracle Cerner EHR given that it is massively over budget, in light of the general VA budget shortfall, and in the context of the federal deficit. Representative Self pushed the VA witnesses to provide a complete cost estimate to finish the project, but the witnesses balked at doing so because they do not have a complete schedule to finish the project. Additionally, Chairman Bost questioned Veterans Health Administration Chief Financial Officer Laura Duke about when she first became aware of the anticipated $12 billion health care shortfall in fiscal year 2025, how much of it is due to staffing costs, and in particular whether additional staffing needs related to the EHR have been incorporated. Ms. Duke confirmed that the EHR was a contributing factor and that overall, unbudgeted staffing expenses contributed to roughly $3 billion of the shortfall.   On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and the Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure held a joint oversight hearing titled “Leveling the Playing Field: Examining the Landscape of Veteran Owned Small Businesses.” During the hearing, the subcommittees discussed the significant hurdles facing Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). These include obstacles such as limited access to capital, prioritizing veteran-owned businesses for federal contracting, lack of mentoring and training, and licensing issues. Additionally, the Committee heard stakeholder concerns raised about the TAP program. Although many improvements have been made, including the addition of the entrepreneur track and Boots to Business, (B2B) more can be done to continue to provide the best service to our veterans.  On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs held a markup on the following legislation:
On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held an oversight hearing titled “Is the Veterans Benefits Administration Properly Processing and Deciding Veterans Claims?” The hearing examined the efficacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) quality assurance and training programs. Witness testimony revealed that despite some improvements – including improvements that occurred in the period since the Subcommittee Chair invited VA to this hearing – VBA fails to adequately train its claims processors and implement effective quality assurance programs, resulting in incorrect denials or delays that add months or years to veterans’ and survivors’ wait for decisions on their claims for VA benefits. GOP Members questioned witnesses about how errors in claims processing resulted in improper payments of disability compensation of at least $100 million within a one year period. GOP members called for improved training programs and quality controls to reduce errors, rework, and the wasting of taxpayer dollars. VA promised Subcommittee Chair Luttrell to implement improvements in training within 3 to 6 months. Ways and Means On Tuesday, July 23, the Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing called "Fueling Chaos: Tracing the Flow of Tax-Exempt Dollars to Antisemitism." Antisemitic protests across the country are being fueled in part by tax-exempt organizations that in some cases have ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas, witnesses shared during the hearing. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), an organization behind much of the antisemitic activity on college campuses this spring, receives funding and material support from a tax-exempt organization called AJP Educational Foundation (AJP) and its fiscal sponsor called American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). AMP is currently being sued in state court under suspicion that the charity may have been funneling money to Hamas. Witnesses, including experts on terrorism financing and extremism, pointed to a lack of transparency about the flow of money through tax-exempt organizations to non-tax-exempt organizations like SJP as a roadblock to efforts at halting the funding for antisemitism. Another factor is abuse of the tax code, particularly through the use of “fiscal sponsorships,” that allow one group to essentially piggy-back off the tax-exempt status of the sponsoring organization with little to no transparency surrounding the activities of the fiscally sponsored organization.   On Wednesday, July 24, the full committee held a full committee markup of the following legislation:
The Committee also advanced legislation to overturn an IRS policy change that would make it more difficult for custodial parents to receive child support payments. The IRS established an October 1 deadline to block state agencies from using contractors for the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program, which serves nearly 13 million families and 18 percent of all children. The bill also provides parity for tribes operating child support enforcement programs.  |