Press Releases
Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of December 9, 2024
Washington,
December 13, 2024
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Appropriations On Tuesday, December 10, the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a budget and oversight hearing called "District of Columbia Budget for Fiscal Year 2025." This week, Appropriators held an oversight hearing on the District of Columbia’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, marking the first time in well-over a decade that the D.C. Mayor, Chief Financial Officer, and Chair of the City Council have testified before the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee. Led by FSGG Subcommittee Chairman Dave Joyce (R-OH), Members emphasized the need for the city to take comprehensive action to reduce violent crime and sustain strong public safety initiatives. City officials highlighted the importance of return-to-work efforts in revitalizing key sectors of the economy and energizing city centers. Additionally, lawmakers asked the necessary questions to ensure the District is fully prepared to address security concerns for the upcoming Presidential inauguration.   Armed Services On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. In a statement, Chairman Mike Rogers applauded the bill’s passage and highlighted how the FY25 NDAA will improve the quality of life for military families and strengthen our military. In the statement, Chairman Rogers said, “It is vital that we ensure that our servicemembers and their families are taken care of. I am immensely proud of the bipartisan work accomplished by the House Armed Services Committee to improve the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families.” Read more about the FY25 NDAA HERE. Budget On Wednesday, December 11, the Budget Committee held a full committee hearing called "Sounding the Alarm: Pathways and Possible Solutions to the U.S. Fiscal Crisis" to examine the sweeping implications of our nation’s $36 trillion dollar national debt while exploring reform proposals designed to combat a looming U.S. fiscal crisis.  Education and the Workforce On Wednesday, December 11, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing called "Examining the Policies and Priorities of AmeriCorps and Its FY 2024 Audit Failure." AmeriCorps receives more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds every year, and yet, it has failed eight audits in a row. This is shameful and it is evident this agency should be on DOGE’s chopping block. This hearing gave members an opportunity to call out AmeriCorps’ irresponsible use of taxpayer funds. Chairwoman Foxx dubbed the agency “the poster child for waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.” Members also highlighted that the federal government should not be involved in paid volunteerism and AmeriCorps should not be expanded to address Democrat’s radical climate priorities or dangerous DEI mandates.    Foreign Affairs On Wednesday, December 11, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a full committee hearing called "An Assessment of the State Department’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan by America’s Top Diplomat." During the hearing, Secretary Blinken admitted to not having read Chairman McCaul’s comprehensive report into the withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite trying to claim that the Chairman’s findings are “incorrect on a number of counts, as is the report that I have read.” Secretary Blinken admitted to leaving Americans behind in Afghanistan at the conclusion of the evacuation, and he attempted to falsely claim that “hundreds” of Americans remained because they indicated they wanted to leave. Secretary Blinken admitted U.S. weapons left behind are being used by the Taliban. He said, “there is no doubt a certain number of weapons or equipment that yes are being used by the regime.” Secretary Blinken repeatedly claimed he saw no connection between the weakness displayed during the withdrawal and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and refuses, to this day, to admit his mistakes. He claimed, “I believe it [an unconditional withdrawal] was the right thing to do… I believe that our country is actually better for it, stronger for it.” On Wednesday, December 11, the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations held a hearing called "The Communist Cuban Regime’s Disregard for Human Rights." Witnesses exposed Communist Cuba's horrific human rights record–which includes human trafficking, extrajudicial killings, and the harboring of wanted U.S. terrorists–and highlighted that normalization of Cuba and the lifting of sanctions or removal from the State Sponsors of Terror List only worsens the regime's oppression on its people.    Homeland Security On Tuesday, December 10, the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology held a hearing entitled “Given the Green Light: Open Border Policies and Threats to Law Enforcement.” This hearing examined how President Biden and “border czar” Vice President Harris’ disastrous open-borders, anti-enforcement policies have put all levels of law enforcement across the nation at heightened risk.  On Tuesday, December 10, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a joint hearing entitled “Safeguarding the Homeland from Unmanned Aerial Systems.” To examine the full scope of the homeland security threats posed by unauthorized drones, members questioned DOJ, FBI, and CBP witnesses on the recent mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey, and the cartels’ use of drones along the Southwest border.   House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence This week, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, which included the House Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.  On Tuesday, December 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General published a report about how the DOJ secretly subpoenaed Members of Congress and congressional staff without their knowledge. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner condemned the DOJ’s outrageous behavior and called for reform.  Congressman Rick Crawford authored an op-ed in the Washington Examiner about the CIA Subcommittee’s comprehensive investigation into anomalous health incidents, commonly called Havana Syndrome.  Natural Resources On Tuesday, December 10, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing titled “Desecrating Old Glory: Investigating How the Pro-Hamas Protests Turned National Park Service Land into a Violent Disgrace.” The hearing was on the violent pro-Hamas protest near Union Station on July 24, 2024. This protest, hosted by the ANSWER Coalition, escalated into a destructive riot that involved burning the American flag, vandalizing landmarks, raising Palestinian flags and brutally assaulting park police officers.    Oversight and Accountability On Tuesday, December 10, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee hearing called "Oversight of the U.S. Postal Service." The American people rely on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for critical services and members emphasized that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy deserves credit for implementing a long-term strategy to improve USPS operations. However, members stressed that many Americans across the country continue to endure poor service, and USPS is still losing too much money annually. Republicans and Democrats urged Postmaster General DeJoy to remain focused on achieving financial self-sufficiency for the Postal Service’s operations while also improving overall service for Americans.    Rules On Monday, December 9, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:
   Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party On Wednesday, December 11, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party joined Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), co-chairs of the Committee’s Critical Mineral Policy Working Group, to introduce new bipartisan legislation and a policy report that helps address the United States’ dependence on the CCP for critical minerals and jumpstart American industry and workforce alongside our allies and partners.  Small Business On Wednesday, December 11, Chairman Williams released an interim staff report detailing the Small Business Administration’s voter registration efforts in Michigan. The House also passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025, which included codifying the SBA’s Boots to Business Program into law for the first time since the program was created in 2012.    Transportation and Infrastructure This week, the House passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA) by a vote of 399-18. 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. WRDA projects have national, regional, and local significance and help strengthen the nation’s global competitiveness, grow the economy, move goods throughout the country and abroad, protect communities, and create jobs. This year’s WRDA had support from more than 200 stakeholders.    On Wednesday, December 11, the Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing on implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Subcommittee Members heard from representatives of the aerospace industry on the FAA’s efforts to implement the new aviation law. Veterans Affairs On Wednesday, December 11, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held an oversight hearing titled “Examining the Effectiveness of the Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program.” During the hearing, the subcommittee reviewed concerns about the VR&E program's effectiveness, cost, staffing levels, and outcomes. The subcommittee heard from various stakeholders including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and the National Association of Veterans’ Program Administrators (NAVPA), who shared their perspectives on ways that VA could improve the program's effectiveness and better serve our disabled veterans. The stakeholders also focused on the program’s long wait times and the lack of outcome metrics or oversight mechanisms in place to evaluate VR&E’s services. Additionally, the stakeholders focused on the new case management system the Readiness and Employment System (RES), and how the pilot is progressing. Finally, the hearing focused on removing the barriers of communication between School Certifying Officials (SCOs) and VA to provide a smooth transfer of benefits for veterans using the VR&E program.  On Thursday, December 12, the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization held an oversight hearing titled “Modernizing VA: Lessons Learned in the 118th Congress.” During the hearing, Chairman Rosendale questioned a panel of independent IT experts and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) IT executives about the pitfalls of technology megaprojects and the advantages of more incremental, agile approaches. VA currently has three IT megaprojects that are altogether more than $27 billion over budget. Carol Harris, Director of Information Technology and Cybersecurity Issues at the Government Accountability Office, criticized VA’s megaprojects as overly ambitious, inflexible, and incompatible with best practices. Lynn Overmann, Executive Director of the Beeck Center at Georgetown University, explained the importance of a product-based approach rather than a project-based approach. She highlighted establishing a clear mission, goals, funding, and timeline upfront while allowing for adaptation along the way. Reynold Schweickhardt, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, cautioned VA not to jam too many requirements into too few systems, enlarging them beyond what is manageable. Chairman Rosendale questioned VA Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene about the progress he has made shifting away from such “big bang” megaprojects toward the approaches advocated by Ms. Overmann and Mr. Schweickhardt. Mr. DelBene explained VA’s recent decision not to proceed with megaprojects to modernize the Department’s supply chain and human resources systems and instead focus on smaller, less risky, less expensive strategies to modernize their components sequentially. Chairman Rosendale commended Mr. DelBene on this strategic change and warned his successor to avoid megaprojects which inevitably become taxpayer funded black holes and fail to deliver improvements for veterans. |