[House Report 113-303]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 221
113th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 113-303
_______________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITIES
of the
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND
GOVERNMENT REFORM
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
DECEMBER 2013
(Pursuant to House Rule XI, 1(d)(1))
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov
http://www.house.gov/reform
December 20, 2013.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_____
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
39-006 WASHINGTON : 2013
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
DARRELL E. ISSA, California, Chairman
JOHN L. MICA, Florida ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland,
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio Ranking Minority Member
JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York
PATRICK T. McHENRY, North Carolina ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of
JIM JORDAN, Ohio Columbia
JASON CHAFFETZ, Utah JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts
TIM WALBERG, Michigan WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts
JUSTIN AMASH, Michigan JIM COOPER, Tennessee
PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania JACKIE SPEIER, California
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee MATTHEW A. CARTWRIGHT,
TREY GOWDY, South Carolina Pennsylvania
BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
DOC HASTINGS, Washington ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois
ROB WOODALL, Georgia PETER WELCH, Vermont
THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky TONY CARDENAS, California
DOUG COLLINS, Georgia STEVEN A. HORSFORD, Nevada
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, New Mexico
KERRY L. BENTIVOLIO, Michigan
RON DeSANTIS, Florida
Lawrence J. Brady, Staff Director
John D. Cuaderes, Deputy Staff Director
Stephen Castor, General Counsel
Linda A. Good, Chief Clerk
David Rapallo, Minority Staff Director
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform,
Washington, DC, December 20, 2013.
Hon. John A. Boehner,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: In accordance with Rule XI(1)(d)(1) of
the Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully
submit the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's
activities report for the First Session of the 113th Congress.
Sincerely,
Darrell Issa,
Chairman.
Union Calendar No. 221
113th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 113-303
======================================================================
ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
_______
December 20, 2013.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Issa, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
In 2013, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
has continued the work it began in the 112th Congress to
conduct the meaningful oversight of the Executive Branch, and
offer substantive reform proposals to save taxpayer money and
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal
government.
In its efforts to highlight the federal government's waste,
fraud, mismanagement, and malfeasance, the Committee and its
Subcommittees have held 96 hearings, conducted nearly 100
transcribed interviews and depositions, sent some 500 letters
to federal agencies and recipients of federal funding
requesting documents and information, and reviewed several
million documents produced to the Committee in response to
requests and subpoenas.
Pursuant to House Rule XI, this report contains a detailed
list of legislative and oversight activities, as well as
summaries of actions taken with respect to the Committee's
adopted oversight plan, additional oversight and investigation
activities, and hearings held on items in the Government
Accountability Office's biannual High Risk list or the federal
government's financial statements.
I. Legislative Activities
BILLS ENACTED INTO LAW
H.R. 1171, FOR VETS Act of 2013. Introduced by Rep. Dan
Benishek on March 14, 2013; reported by the Committee on 6/25/
13 (H. Rept. 113-126); passed the House on 7/8/13 (387-1);
passed Senate on 8/1/13 (UC); and became Public Law 113-26 on
8/9/13.
H.R. 1246, District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer
Vacancy Act. Introduced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton on 3/19/
2013; reported by the Committee on 4/12/13 (H. Rept. 113-37);
passed the House on 4/15 (voice vote); passed the Senate on 4/
18/13 (UC); and became Public Law 113-8 on 5/1/13.
BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE
H.R. 273, to eliminate the 2013 statutory pay adjustment
for Federal employees. Introduced by Rep. Ron DeSantis on 1/15/
13. History: Was not acted on by the OGR Committee; passed
House on 2/15/13 by vote of 261-154.
H.R. 313, Government Spending Accountability Act of 2013.
Introduced by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson on 1/18/13 (Rep. Farenthold
later was added as the sponsor upon the retirement of Rep.
Emerson). History: Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and
reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote; report filed in
House on 7/30/13 (H. Rept. 113-183); passed House on 7/31/13 by
a voice vote.
H.R. 850, Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013. Introduced
by Rep. Edward Royce on 2/27/13. History: Was not acted on by
OGR Committee and on 7/30/13 OGR Committee discharged; passed
House on 7/31/13 by a vote of 400-20-1.
H.R. 882, Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2013.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on 2/28/13. History: Marked
up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported favorably, by voice
vote; report filed in House on 4/12/13 (H. Rept. 113-35);
passed House on 4/15/13 by a vote of 407-0.
H.R. 1162, Government Accountability Office Improvement
Act. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on 3/14/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported favorably,
by voice vote; report filed in House on 4/12/13 (H. Rept. 113-
36); passed House on 4/15/13 by a vote of 408-0.
H.R. 1163, Federal Information Security Amendments Act of
2013. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on 3/14/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported favorably,
by voice vote; report filed in House on 4/16/13 (H. Rept. 113-
40); passed House on 4/16/13 by a vote of 416-0.
H.R. 1660, Government Customer Service Improvement Act of
2013. Introduced by Rep. Henry Cuellar on 4/19/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 7/24/13 and reported favorably,
as amended, by voice vote; passed House on 7/31/13 by a voice
vote.
H.R. 1797, Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
Introduced by Rep. Trent Franks on 4/26/13. History: Was not
acted on by OGR Committee and on 6/14/13 OGR Committee
discharged; passed House on 6/18/13 by a vote of 228-196.
H.R. 2061, Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of
2013. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on 5/21/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 5/22/13 and reported favorably,
as amended, by voice vote; report filed in House on 11/18/13
(H. Rept. 113-270); passed House on 11/18/13 by a vote of 388-
1.
H.R. 2879, Stop Government Abuse Act. Introduced by Rep.
Lynn Jenkins on 7/31/13. History: Was not acted on by OGR
Committee; passed House on 8/1/13 by a vote of 239-176.
H.R. 3223, Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act.
Introduced by Rep. James Moran on 9/30/13. History: Was not
acted on by OGR Committee; passed House on 10/5/13 by a vote of
407-0.
H.R. 3343, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act
to clarify the rules regarding the determination of the
compensation of the Chief Financial Officer of the District of
Columbia. Introduced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton on 10/28/13.
History: Marked up by the Committee on 10/29/13 and reported
favorably, by voice vote; report filed in House on 11/15/13 (H.
Rept. 113-267); passed House on 11/18/13 by voice vote.
BILLS FAILED IN HOUSE
H.R. 249, Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2013.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on 1/15/2013. History: Marked
up by the Committee on 3/20/13, and reported favorably, by
voice vote; report filed in House on 4/12/13 (H. Rept. 113-38);
failed in House under suspension of the rules by a vote of 250-
159.
BILLS PASSED BY THE COMMITTEE
H.R. 328, the Excess Federal Building and Property Disposal
Act of 2013. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on 1/22/13.
History: Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported
favorably, by voice vote.
H.R. 568, to amend title 5, United States Code, to require
that the Office of Personnel Management submit an annual report
to Congress relating to the use of official time by Federal
employees. Introduced by Rep. Dennis Ross on 2/6/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 5/22/13 and reported favorably,
as amended, by voice vote. Report filed in House on 7/16/13 (H.
Rept. 113-154).
H.R. 899, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency
Act of 2013. Introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx. History: Marked
up by the Committee on 7/24/13 and reported favorably, as
amended, by a recorded vote of 22 ayes to 17 noes.
H.R. 1104, Federal Advisory Committee Reform Act.
Introduced by Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay on 3/13/13. Marked up by the
Committee on 3/20/13 and reported favorably, by voice vote.
H.R. 1133, Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of
2013. Introduced by Rep. John J. Duncan on 3/13/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported favorably,
by voice vote; report filed in House on 6/20/13 (H. Rept. 113-
118).
H.R. 1211, FOIA Act. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on 3/
15/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and
reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote; report filed in
House on 7/16/13 (H. Rept. 113-155).
H.R. 1232, Federal Information Technology Acquisition
Reform Act. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on 3/18/13.
History: Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported
favorably, by voice vote.
H.R. 1233, Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments
of 2013. Introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings on 3/18/13.
History: Marked up by the Committee on 3/20/13 and reported
favorably, as amended, by voice vote; report filed in House on
6/25/13 (H. Rept. 113-127).
H.R. 1234, Electronic Message Preservation Act. Introduced
by Rep. Elijah Cummings on 3/18/13. History: Marked up by the
Committee on 3/20/13 and reported favorably, as amended, by
voice vote; report filed in House on 6/25/13 (H. Rept. 113-
128).
H.R. 1380, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act.
Introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley on 3/21/13. History: Marked up
by the Committee on 5/22/13 and reported favorably, as amended,
by voice vote.
H.R. 1423, Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act. Introduced by Rep.
James Lankford on 4/9/13. History: Marked up by the Committee
on 7/24/13 and reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote.
H.R. 1541, Common Sense in Compensation Act. Introduced by
Rep. Mark Meadows on 4/12/13. History: Marked up by the
Committee on 7/24/13 and reported favorably, as amended, by
voice vote. On 7/31/13, considered in House under suspension of
the rules, and on 8/1/13 was laid on the table.
H.R. 2067, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
Personnel Flexibilities Act. Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows on
5/21/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on 5/22/13 and
reported favorably, by voice vote; report filed in House on 7/
16/13 (H. Rept. 113-156).
H.R. 2579, Government Employee Accountability Act.
Introduced by Rep. Mike Kelly on 6/28/13. History: Marked up by
the Committee on 7/24/13 and reported favorably, as amended, by
voice vote; report filed in House 7/31/13 (H. Rept. 113-186).
On 7/31/13, considered in House under suspension of the rules,
and on 8/1/13 was laid on the table.
H.R. 2711, Citizen Empowerment Act. Introduced by Rep. Lynn
Jenkins on 7/17/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on 7/
24/13 and reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote; report
filed in House on 7/30/13 (H. Rept. 113-184). On 7/31/13,
considered in House under suspension of the rules, and on 8/1/
13 was laid on the table.
H.R. 2748, Postal Reform Act of 2013. Introduced by Rep.
Darrell Issa on 7/19/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on
7/24/13 and reported favorably, as amended, by a vote of 22-17.
H.R. 2793, District of Columbia Financial Efficiency Act of
2013. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on 7/23/13. History:
Marked up by the Committee on 7/24/13 and reported favorably,
by unanimous consent.
H.R. 2860, OPM IG Act. Introduced by Rep. Blake Farenthold
on 7/30/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on 10/29/13 and
reported favorably, by voice vote.
H.R. 3316, GRANT Act. Introduced by Rep. James Lankford on
10/23/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on 10/29/13 and
reported favorably, as amended, by a vote of 19 ayes to 15
nays.
H.R. 3345, SUSPEND Act. Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa on
10/28/13. History: Marked up by the Committee on 10/29/13 and
reported favorably, by voice vote.
II. Oversight Activities
COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND HEARINGS HELD
Jan. 22, 2013, 12:30 p.m.--Full Committee Organization
Meeting.
Jan. 22, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Wasting Information Technology Dollars: How Can the Federal
Government Reform its IT Investment Strategy?'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Tom Davis, Former Member of Congress, and Chairman of
the Government Reform Committee; Mr. Steven VanRoekel, Federal
CIO, Office of Management and Budget; Mr. David Powner,
Director, Information Technology Management Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Douglas Bourgeois, Vice
President, Chief Executive, VMware, Inc.; Michael Klayko,
Advisor and CEO, Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.; Chris
Niehaus, Director, Office of Civic Innovation, Microsoft
Corporation
Feb. 5, 2013, 12:30 p.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
Feb. 5, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Government Spending: How Can We Best Address the Billions of
Dollars Wasted Every Year?''. Witnesses: Mr. Thomas A. Schatz,
President, Citizens Against Government Waste; Mr. Ryan
Alexander, President, Taxpayers for Common Sense; The Honorable
Dan G. Blair, President, National Academy of Public
Administration; Mr. John M. Kamensky, Senior Fellow, IBM Center
for the Business of Government.
Feb. 13, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security hearing entitled, ``U.S. Direct Assistance in
Afghanistan: Ensuring Transparency and Accountability.''
Witnesses: Mr. John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction.
Feb. 14, 2013, 10:15 a.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
Feb. 14, 2013, 10:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Exploring GAO's High Risk List and Opportunities for
Reform.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller
General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
Feb. 14, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``The Effects of
Rising Energy Costs on American Families and Employers.''
Witnesses: Mr. George Hand, General Manager, Canadian Valley
Electric Cooperative; Ms. Paula Carmody, President, National
Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates; Mr. Eugene M.
Trisko, Attorney at Law and Energy Economist; Mr. Daniel Weiss,
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Action Fund; Mr.
Daniel R. Simmons, Director of Regulatory and State Affairs,
Institute for Energy Research.
Feb. 14, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Economic Growth,
Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs hearing entitled,
``Unintended Consequences: Is Government Effectively Addressing
the Unemployment Crisis?'' Witnesses: Casey B. Mulligan, Ph.D.,
Professor in Economics, The University of Chicago; Eugene
Steuerle, Ph.D., Institute Fellow and Richard B. Fisher Chair,
The Urban Institute; Ms. Annie Carter, Owner and President,
Carter Machine Company; Chad Stone, Ph.D., Chief Economist,
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; The Honorable Stacey
Reece, Former Member of the Georgia State House, Franchise
Owner, Spherion.
Feb. 26, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Economic Growth,
Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs hearing entitled, ``Bailout
Rewards: The Treasury Department's Continued Approval of
Excessive Pay for Executives at Taxpayer-Funded Companies.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Christy Romero, Special Inspector
General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, U.S. Department
of the Treasury; Ms. Patricia Geoghegan, Acting Special Master
for TARP Executive Compensation, U. S. Department of the
Treasury.
Feb. 27, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Time to Reform Information Technology Acquisition: The
Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act.'' Witnesses: Mr. Richard
Spires, Chief Information Officer, Department of Homeland
Security; Ms. Cristina Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and
Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office; The
Honorable Daniel Gordon, Associate Dean for Government
Procurement Law Studies, George Washington University Law
School, Former Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement
Policy, OMB; Mr. Stan Soloway, President and CEO, Professional
Services Council; Mr. Paul Misener, Vice President, Global
Public Policy, Amazon.com.
Feb. 27, 2013, 1:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``The Road Less Traveled: Reducing Federal Travel & Conference
Spending.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Rush Holt, Representative
for the 12th Congressional District of New Jersey; The
Honorable Danny Werfel, Controller, U.S. Office of Management
and Budget; Ms. Cynthia Metzler, Chief Administrative Services
Officer, U.S. General Services Administration.
Feb. 27, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Failures in Managing Federal
Real Property: Billions in Losses.'' Witnesses: Dorothy Robyn,
Ph.D., Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, U.S. General
Services Administration; Mr. David Wise, Director, Physical
Infrastructure Team, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr.
Leonard Gilroy, Director of Government Reform, Reason
Foundation.
March 5, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Reducing Waste and Mismanagement: Implementing Agency
Watchdogs' Recommendations Could Save Taxpayers Billions''
Witnesses: The Honorable Anthony W. Miller, Deputy Secretary,
U.S. Department of Education; The Honorable Kathleen S. Tighe,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education; The Honorable
John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of
Transportation; and The Honorable Calvin L. Scovel III,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation.
Mar. 13, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Addressing Transparency in the Federal Bureaucracy: Moving
Toward A More Open Government.'' Witnesses: Ms. Angela
Canterbury, Director of Public Policy, Project on Government
Oversight; Mr. Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy
Studies, Cato Institute; Mr. Daniel Schuman, Policy Counsel,
Director of the Advisory Committee on Transparency, The
Sunlight Foundation; Ms. Celia Viggo Wexler, Senior Washington
Representative, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of
Concerned Scientists.
Mar. 19, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``DOD and DHS: Implementing Agency Watchdogs' Recommendations
Could Save Taxpayers Billions.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Robert Hale, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), U.S.
Department of Defense; Ms. Lynne Halbrooks, Principal Deputy
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense; The Honorable
Rafael Borras, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security; Mr. Charles Edwards, Deputy Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Mar. 19, 2013, 1:30 p.m.--A Joint Hearing of the
Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory
Affairs and the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal
Service and the Census entitled, ``Sequestration Oversight:
Understanding the Administration's Decision on Spending Cuts
and Furloughs.'' Witnesses: Mr. David Robbins, Managing
Director, Federal Communications Commission; Mr. Michael Young,
USDA Budget Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mr. Hari
Sastry, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resource Management,
U.S. Department of Commerce.
Mar. 19, 2013, 3:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements entitled, ``The Department of
Energy's Strategy for Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas.''
Witnesses: Mr. Chris Smith, Acting Assistant Secretary for
Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy; Mr. Tom Choi,
National Practice Leader--Gas, Deloitte MarketPoint LLC; Mr.
Paul N. Cicio, President, Industrial Energy Consumers of
America; Charles K. Ebinger, Ph.D, Director, Foreign Policy,
Energy Security Initiative, Brookings Institute.
Mar. 20, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
Apr. 9, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Reducing Waste in Government: Addressing GAO's 2013 Report on
Duplicative Federal Programs.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Gene
L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
Apr. 10, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``U.S. Foreign Assistance: What Oversight Mechanisms are in
Place to Ensure Accountability?'' Witnesses: The Honorable John
F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction; The Honorable Harold W. Geisel, Deputy
Inspector General, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Michael G.
Carroll, Deputy Inspector General, U.S. Agency for
International Development; The Honorable Kenneth P. Moorefield,
Deputy Inspector General for Special Plans and Operations, U.S.
Department of Defense; Mr. Paul H. Cooksey, Deputy Special
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
Apr. 10, 2013, 1:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``Ahead of Postal Reform: Hearing from USPS Business
Partners.'' Witnesses: Mr. Steven Brandt, President and
Publisher, Greenville News; Ms. Joy Franckowiak, Director,
Postal Affairs and Distribution, Valpak; Ms. Meta Brophy,
Director, Procurement Operations, Consumer Reports; Mr. Carl
Janssens, VP Pharmacy Operations, CVS Caremark; Mr. Ken Garner,
President & CEO, Association of Marketing Service Providers;
Mr. Jerry Cerasale, Senior Vice President of Government
Affairs, Direct Marketing Association.
Apr. 11, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``The Federal Employees Health Benefit Program: Is it a Good
Value for Federal Employees?'' Witnesses: Mr. Jonathan Foley,
Director, Planning and Policy Analysis, U.S. Office of
Personnel Management; Mr. William A. Breskin, Vice President of
Government Programs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association;
Mr. Thomas C. Choate, Chief Growth Officer, UnitedHealthcare;
Mr. Mark Merritt, President and CEO, Pharmaceutical Care
Management Association; Ms. Jacqueline Simon, Public Policy
Director, American Federation of Government Employees.
Apr. 16, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Open to Visitors? Assessing the Federal Effort to Minimize
the Sequester's Impact on Access to Our Nation's Capital and
National Treasures.'' Witnesses: The Honorable David Ferriero,
Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records
Administration; The Honorable Jonathan Jarvis, Director,
National Park Service; G. Wayne Clough, Ph.D., Secretary,
Smithsonian Institution.
Apr. 17, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Options to Bring the Postal Service Back from Insolvency.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; The Honorable Mickey Barnett,
Chairman, Board of Governors, United States Postal Service; The
Honorable Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief
Executive Officer, United States Postal Service; Mr. Frederic
Rolando, President, National Association of Letter Carriers,
AFL-CIO.
Apr. 17, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on National Security
hearing entitled, ``Contracting to Feed U.S. Troops in
Afghanistan: How did the Defense Department end up in a Multi-
Billion Dollar Billing Dispute?'' Witnesses: Mr. Michael
Schuster, Managing Director Logistics Division, Supreme Group
B.V.; Mr. Daniel Blair, Deputy Inspector General for Auditing,
U.S. Department of Defense; Mr. Matthew Beebe, Deputy Senior
Acquisition Executive, Defense Logistics Agency; Mr. William
Kenny, Acquisition Executive, Troop Support, Defense Logistics
Agency; Mr. Gary Shifton, Chief, OCONUS Division, Defense
Logistics Agency.
Apr. 18, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on National Security
hearing entitled, ``Sequestration Oversight: Prioritizing
Security over Administrative Costs at TSA.'' Witnesses: Mr.
John W. Halinski, Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security
Administration.
Apr. 24, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Broken Promises: the Small Business Lending Fund's Backdoor
Bank Bailout.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Christy L. Romero,
Special Inspector General, Office of the Special Inspector
General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Apr. 24, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Economic Growth
entitled, ``Green Energy Oversight: Examining the Department of
Energy's Bad Bet on Fisker Automotive.'' Witnesses: Mr.
Nicholas Whitcombe, Supervisory Senior Investment Officer, LPO,
Department of Energy; Mr. Henrik Fisker, Former Executive
Chairman, Fisker Automotive; Mr. Bernhard Koehler, Chief
Operating Officer, Fisker Automotive; Mr. Nicolas Loris,
Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; Ms.
Zoe Lipman, Independent Consultant.
Apr. 25, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Government Operations Oversight:
Addressing Unused and Vacant Federal Property.'' Off-site
hearing located at: 49 L Street S.E. in Washington, D.C.
Witnesses: Mr. Michael Gelber, Deputy Commissioner, Public
Buildings Service, General Services Administration; Mr. David
Wise, Director, Physical Infrastructure Team, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; The Honorable Tommy Wells, D.C.
Councilmember, Ward 6; Mr. Ed Kaminski, Commissioner,
Washington DC Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
Apr. 25, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security and Subcommittee on Economic Growth joint hearing
entitled, ``Oversight of the Federal Government's Procurement
of Ammunition.'' Witnesses: Nick Nayak, Ph.D., Chief
Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr.
Humberto Medina, Assistant Director, National Firearms and
Tactical Training Unit, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, (Also Chair
of the DHS Weapons and Ammunition Commodity Council); The
Honorable Patrick P. O'Carroll, Jr., Inspector General, Office
of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration; Mr.
Jon Adler, National President, National Law Enforcement
Officers Association.
Apr. 25, 2013, 10:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Examining the
Lack of Transparency and Consumer Driven Market Forces in U.S.
Health Care.'' Witnesses: Marty Makary M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.,
Surgeon, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Health Policy Professor, Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; John Goodman, Ph.D.,
President and Chief Executive Officer, National Center for
Policy Analysis; Ms. Lynn Quincy, Senior Health Policy Analyst,
Consumers Union.
May 7, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Joint hearing of the Subcommittee
on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs and the
Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil
Justice entitled, ``DOJ's Quid Pro Quo with St. Paul: A
Whistleblower's Perspective.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Charles
E. Grassley, United States Senator from Iowa; The Honorable
Johnny Isakson, United States Senator from Georgia; Mr.
Fredrick Newell, Community Activist, St. Paul, Minnesota; Mr.
Thomas F. DeVincke, Attorney representing Mr. Newell in Newell
v. City of St. Paul; Ms. Shelley R. Slade, Partner, Vogel,
Slade & Goldstein, LLP.
May 8, 2013, 11:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage.''
Witnesses: Mr. Mark Thompson, Deputy Coordinator for
Operations, Bureau of Counterterrorism and Leader, Foreign
Emergency Support Team, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Gregory
Hicks, Foreign Service Officer and former Deputy Chief of
Mission/Charge d'Affairs in Libya, U.S. Department of State;
Mr. Eric Nordstrom, Diplomatic Security Officer and former
Regional Security Officer in Libya, U.S. Department of State.
May 9, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Federal Government Approaches to
Issuing Biometric IDs.'' Witnesses: Mr. Stephen Sadler,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Intelligence and Analysis,
Transportation Security Administration; Mr. Stephen A. Lord,
Director, Forensic Audits and Investigations, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
May 9, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal Workforce,
Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled, ``Is OPM
Processing Federal Worker Pension Claims on Time?'' Witnesses:
Mr. Patrick McFarland, Inspector General, U.S. Office of
Personnel Management; Mr. Kenneth Zawodny, Associate Director,
Retirement Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Ms.
Valerie C. Melvin, Director, Information Management &
Technology Resource Issues, U.S. Government Accountability
Office; Dr. George Kettner, President, Economic Systems, Inc.;
Mr. Joseph A. Beaudoin, President, National Active and Retired
Federal Employees Assoc. (NARFE).
May 14, 2013, 2:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations Field Hearing entitled, ``Data Centers and the
Cloud: Is the Government Optimizing New Information
Technologies Opportunities to Save Taxpayers Money?'' Held in
the Meese Conference Room in Mason Hall at George Mason
University, Fairfax, VA. Witnesses: Mr. David A. Powner,
Director, Information Technology Management Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Bernard Mazer, Chief
Information Officer, Department of the Interior; Mr. Steve
O'Keeffe, Founder, MeriTalk; Ms. Teresa H. Carlson, Vice
President, World Wide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services; Mr.
Kenyon Wells, Vice President of U.S. Federal, CGI Federal.
May 15, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee Briefing by the
Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, on Fed Activities.
Closed Briefing only open to Committee Members.
May 16, 2013, 10:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Opportunities
Lost: Constraints on Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands
and Waters.'' Witnesses: Mr. Tommy P. Beaudreau, Acting
Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, U.S.
Department of the Interior; Mr. Frank Rusco, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
May 21, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Joint Hearing of the Subcommittee
on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements and the
Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory
Affairs entitled, ``Examining the Concerns About ObamaCare
Outreach Campaign.'' Witnesses: Mr. Gary Cohen, Deputy
Administrator and Director, Center for Consumer Information and
Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services.
May 22, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``The IRS: Targeting Americans for Their Political Beliefs.''
Witnesses: The Honorable J. Russell George Inspector General,
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, The
Honorable Douglas Shulman, Former Commissioner, Internal
Revenue Service; Ms. Lois G. Lerner, Director, Exempt
Organizations, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division,
Internal Revenue Service; The Honorable Neal S. Wolin, Deputy
Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
May 22, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
June 5, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal Workforce,
U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled, ``OPM's
Revolving Fund: A Cycle of Government Waste?'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General, U.S. Office
of Personnel Management; Charles D. Grimes, III, Chief
Operating Officer, U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Linda
E. Brooks Rix, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Avue Technologies
Corporation.
June 5, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Up Against the
Blend Wall: Examining EPA's Role in the Renewable Fuel
Standard.'' Witnesses: Mr. Christopher Grundler, Director,
Office of Transportation & Air Quality, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency; Mr. Jack Gerard, President and CEO, American
Petroleum Institute; Mr. Lucian Pugliaresi, President, Energy
Policy Research Foundation Inc.; Mr. Joel Brandenberger,
President, National Turkey Federation; Jeremy I. Martin, Ph.D.,
Senior Scientist, Clean Vehicles Program, Union of Concerned
Scientists.
June 6, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Collected and Wasted: The IRS Spending Culture and Conference
Abuses.'' Witnesses: The Honorable J. Russell George, Inspector
General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; Mr.
Gregory Kutz, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Mr. Faris Fink,
Commissioner, Small Business and Self-Employed Division,
Internal Revenue Service; Mr. Danny Werfel, Acting
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service.
June 10, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations Field Hearing entitled, ``The Delphi Pension
Bailout: Unequal Treatment of Retirees.'' Held at the Sinclair
Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Witnesses: Mr. Bruce Gump,
Delphi Salaried Retirees Association; Ms. Mary Miller, Delphi
Salaried Retirees Association; Mr. Tom Rose, Delphi Salaried
Retirees Association; Mr. Paul Dobosz, Delphi Salaried Retirees
Association; Mr. James Sherk, Senior Policy Analyst in Labor
Economics, The Heritage Foundation.
June 12, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Protecting Taxpayer Dollars: Is the Government Using
Suspension and Debarment Effectively?'' Witnesses: Mr. John
Neumann, Acting Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management,
U.S. Government Accountability Office; The Honorable Angela B.
Styles, Partner, Crowell & Moring, Washington, D.C., (Former
Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, OMB); Mr.
Scott H. Amey, General Counsel, Project on Government
Oversight.
June 13, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security hearing entitled, ``Examining the Government's Record
on Implementing the International Religious Freedom Act.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Suzan Johnson Cook, Ambassador-at-
Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of
State; Katrina Lantos Swett, Ph.D., Chair, U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom; Thomas F. Farr, Ph.D.,
Director of the Religious Freedom Project, Berkley Center for
Religion, Peace and World Affairs, Georgetown University; Ms.
Tina Ramirez, President, Hardwired, Inc.; Mr. Amjad Mahmood
Khan, National Director of Public Affairs, Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community USA; Chris Seiple, Ph.D., President, Institute for
Global Engagement.
June 18, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Reinventing Government.'' Witnesses: The Honorable David M.
Walker, Government Transformation Initiative; The Honorable
Stephen Goldsmith, Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of
Government, Director, Innovations in Government Program, John
F. Kennedy School of Government; Ms. Elaine C. Kamarck, Ph.D.,
Director, Management and Leadership Institute, Senior Fellow,
Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution; Mr. Daniel J.
Chenok, Executive Director, IBM Center for the Business of
Government; Mr. J. David Cox, National President, American
Federation of Government Employees.
June 19, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Federal Government Approaches to
Issuing Biometric IDs: Part II.'' Witnesses: Mr. Charles H.
Romine, Director of the Information Technology Laboratory,
National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department
of Commerce; Mr. Steven Martinez, Executive Assistant Director
of the Science and Technology Branch, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice; Mr. John Allen,
Director of the Flight Standards Service, Federal Aviation
Administration; Ms. Colleen Manaher, Executive Director of
Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation, Office of Field
Operations, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security; Ms. Brenda Sprague, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Passport Services, U.S. Department of State.
June 21, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations Field Hearing entitled, ``Building a Better
Partnership: Exploring the Mine Safety and Health
Administration's Regulation of Southern Appalachian Mining.''
Held at the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse in Bakersville,
North Carolina. Witnesses: Mr. Marvin Lichtenfels, Deputy
Administrator for Metal/Non-Metal, Mine Safety and Health
Administration; Mr. Sam Bratton, President, North Carolina
Aggregates Association; Mr. Jeff Stoll, Safety and Health
Manager, The Quartz Corporation; Mr. Mack McNeely, Vice
President, LBM Industries and Nantahala Talc Limestone.
June 26, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``The IRS Contracts with Strong Castle, Inc.'' Witnesses: Ms.
Beth Tucker, Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support,
Internal Revenue Service; Mr. Michael Chodos, Associate
Administrator, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, U.S.
Small Business Administration; Mr. Brad Flohr, Senior Advisor
for Compensation Service, Veterans Benefit Administration, U.S.
Veterans Administration; Mr. Gregory Roseman, Deputy Director,
Enterprise Networks and Tier Systems Support, Internal Revenue
Service; Mr. William Sisk, Deputy Commissioner, Federal
Acquisition Service, General Services Administration; Mr.
Braulio Castillo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Strong
Castle, Inc.
June 27, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National Security
hearing entitled, ``Border Security Oversight: Identifying and
Responding to Current Threats.'' Witnesses: Mr. Michael Fisher,
Chief, U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection; Mr.
David J. Murphy, Assisting Acting Commissioner, Customs and
Border Protection; Mr. Thomas Homan, Executive Associate
Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration
and Custom Enforcement; Ms. Rebecca Gambler, Director, Homeland
Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office
June 27, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Oversight of
Rising Social Security Disability Claims and the Role of
Administrative Law Judges.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Tom
Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), Ranking Minority Member, Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States
Senate; Glenn E. Sklar, Deputy Commissioner, Disability
Adjudication and Review, Social Security Administration; The
Honorable Larry J. Butler, Administrative Law Judge, Miami
Office of Disability Adjudication Review, Social Security
Administration; The Honorable Thomas W. Snook, Administrative
Law Judge, Miami Office of Disability Adjudication Review,
Social Security Administration; The Honorable J.E. Sullivan,
Administrative Law Judge, Pittsburgh Office of Administrative
Law Judges, U.S. Department of Labor; The Honorable Drew A.
Swank, Administrative Law Judge, Pittsburgh Office of
Administrative Law Judges, U.S Department of Labor; Thomas D.
Sutton, Board of Directors, National Organization of Social
Security Claimants' Representatives.
June 28, 2013 9:00 a.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
July 10, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports Show Feds Struggling to
Track Money and Performance.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Gene L.
Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
July 10, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``The Combined Federal Campaign: Making Every Dollar Count.''
Witnesses: The Honorable David G. Reichert (WA-08), U.S. House
of Representatives; Mr. Mark Lambert, Associate Director for
Merit System Accountability and Compliance, U.S. Office of
Personnel Management, Ms. Ju'Coby Pittman, President and CEO,
Clara White Mission; Mr. Kalman Stein, President and CEO,
EarthShare; Ms. Debby Hampton, President and CEO, United Way of
Central Oklahoma; Mr. Ken Berger, President and CEO, Charity
Navigator.
July 17, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements and Committee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and
Security Technologies joint hearing entitled, ``Evaluating
Privacy, Security, and Fraud Concerns with ObamaCare's
Information Sharing Apparatus.'' Witnesses: Mr. Alan R. Duncan,
Assistant Inspector General for Security and Information
Technology Services, Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration; Mr. Terence V. Milholland, Chief Technology
Officer, Internal Revenue Service; The Honorable Danny Werfel,
Principal Deputy Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; The
Honorable Marilyn B. Tavenner, Administrator, Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services; Mr. Henry Chao, Deputy Chief Information
Officer, Deputy Director of the Office of Information Services,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services; Mr. John Dicken, Director, Health
Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
July 17, 2013, 10:15 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security hearing entitled, ``Border Security Oversight, Part
II: Examining Asylum Requests.'' Witnesses: Mr. Joseph E.
Langlois, Associate Director, Refugee, Asylum, and
International Operations Directorate, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services.
July 17, 2013, 1:30 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``A Path Forward on Postal Reform.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Adrian Smith, Member of Congress; The Honorable Patrick
Donahoe, Postmaster General & CEO, United States Postal
Service; Mr. Joel Quadracci, Chairman, President & CEO, Quad
Graphics; Mr. Cliff Guffey, President, American Postal Workers
Union, AFL-CIO.
July 18, 2013, 11:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``The IRS's Systematic Delay and Scrutiny of Tea Party
Applications.'' Witnesses: Ms. Elizabeth Hofacre, Revenue
Agent, Exempt Organizations, Tax Exempt and Government Entities
Division, Internal Revenue Service; Mr. Carter Hull (Recently
Retired), Tax Law Specialist, Exempt Organizations, Tax Exempt
and Government Entities Division, Internal Revenue Service; The
Honorable J. Russell George, Inspector General, Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Mr. Michael McCarthy,
Chief Counsel, Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration; Mr. Gregory Kutz, Assistant Inspector General
for Management Services and Exempt Organizations, Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration.
July 18, 2013, 2:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Economic Growth,
Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs hearing entitled,
``Regulatory Burdens: The Impact of Dodd-Frank on Community
Banking.'' Witnesses: Mr. Eddie Creamer, President and CEO,
Prosperity Bank; Ms. Tanya Marsh, Assistant Professor of Law,
Wake Forest University School of Law; The Honorable R. Bradley
Miller, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress (Former
Member of Congress); Ms. Hester Peirce, Senior Research Fellow,
Mercatus Center, George Mason University.
July 18, 2013, 2:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Examining the
Obama Administration's Social Cost of Carbon Estimates.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Howard Shelanski, Administrator,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget.
July 24, 2013 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
July 25, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Data Centers and the Cloud, Part
II: The Federal Government's Take on Optimizing New Information
Technologies Opportunities to Save Taxpayers Money.''
Witnesses: Mr. David Powner, Director, Information Technology
Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; The
Honorable Steven VanRoekel, Acting Deputy Director for
Management, Federal Chief Information Officer, Administrator
for E-Government and Information Technology, Office of
Management and Budget; Dr. David L. McClure, Associate
Administrator, Office of Citizen Services and Innovative
Technologies, U.S. General Services Administration.
July 31, 2013, 10:15 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Oversight of
IRS's Legal Basis for Expanding ObamaCare's Taxes and
Subsidies.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Scott Pruitt, Attorney
General, State of Oklahoma; Charles Willey, M.D., CEO, Innovare
Health Advocates Inc.; Mr. Simon Lazarus, Senior Counsel,
Constitutional Accountability Center; Mr. Jonathan Adler,
Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University; Ms. Emily
McMahon, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, U.S.
Department of the Treasury.
August 1, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing
entitled, ``Department of Energy's Bonneville Power
Administration: Discriminating Against Veterans and Retaliating
Against Whistleblowers.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Gregory H.
Friedman, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Energy; The
Honorable Daniel B. Poneman, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department
of Energy; Ms. Anita J. Decker, Bonneville Power
Administration.
August 2, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security and Committee on Natural Resources' Public Lands and
Environmental Regulation Subcommittee joint hearing entitled,
``Missing Weapons at the National Park Service: Mismanagement
and Lack of Accountability.'' Witnesses: Mr. Robert A. Knox,
Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of
Inspector General, U. S. Department of Interior; Ms. Kim A.
Thorsen, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Public Safety, Resource
Protection and Emergency Services, U. S. Department of
Interior; The Honorable Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director, National
Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior; Ms. Teresa
Chambers, Chief of the United States Park Police Force,
National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior.
August 2, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Examining the Skyrocketing
Problem of Identity Theft Related Tax Fraud at the IRS.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Daniel Werfel, Principal Deputy
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; Ms. Nina E. Olson,
National Taxpayer Advocate, Office of the Taxpayer Advocate;
Mr. Michael McKenney, Acting Deputy Inspector General for
Audit, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; Mr.
Douglas J. MacGinnitie, State Revenue Commissioner, Department
of Revenue.
Sept. 10, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Preventing Violations of Federal Transparency Laws.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Gary Gensler, Chairman, U.S.,
Commodity Futures Trading Commission; The Honorable Lisa P.
Jackson, Vice President of Environmental Initiatives, Apple
Inc. (Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency); Mr. Jonathan Silver Visiting Distinguished Senior
Fellow, Third Way (Former Executive Director Loan Program
Office, U.S. Department of Energy); Mr. Andrew, McLaughlin,
Senior Vice President, Betaworks (Former Deputy Chief
Technology Officer, Executive Office of the President); The
Honorable David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States.
Sept. 11, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``Ensuring an Accurate and Affordable 2020 Census.'' Witnesses:
The Honorable John Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr.
Robert Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Ms. Carol Cha, Director, Information
Technology, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Sept. 11, 2013, 1:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Oversight of the SIGTARP Report
on Treasury's Role in the Delphi Pension Bailout.'' Witnesses:
The Honorable Christy L. Romero, Special Inspector General for
the Troubled Asset Relief Program; Mr. Matthew A. Feldman,
Partner, Wilkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP; Mr. Steven Rattner,
Chairman, Willett Advisors, LLC; Mr. Harry J. Wilson, Chairman,
CEO and founder, The MAEVA Group, LLC; Mr. Harvey R. Miller,
Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP; Ms. Barbara D. Bovbjerg,
Managing Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Ms. A. Nicole
Clowers, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment,
U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Sept. 18, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Economic
Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs and the
Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements
Joint hearing entitled, ``Federal Implementation of ObamaCare:
Concerns of State Governments.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Jeff
Colyer, M.D., Lieutenant Governor, State of Kansas; The
Honorable C. Bradley Hutto, State Senator, State of South
Carolina; The Honorable Alan Wilson, Attorney General, State of
South Carolin; The Honorable Katrina R. Jackson, State
Representative, State of Louisiana; Ms. Kathy Kliebert,
Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals, State of
Louisiana; The Honorable Eleanor Sobel, State Senator, State of
Florida, The Honorable Matthew Hudson, State Representative,
State of Florida.
Sept. 19, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions.''
Witnesses: Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, Chairman, Benghazi
Accountability Review Board; Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN
(Ret.), Vice-Chairman, Benghazi Accountability Review Board;
Mr. Mark J. Sullivan, Chairman, Independent Panel on Best
Practices, Former Director, United States Secret Service; Mr.
Todd Keil, Member, Independent Panel on Best Practices, Former
Asst. Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security; Ms. Patricia Smith, Mother of Sean Smith;
and Mr. Charles Woods, Father of Tyrone Woods.
Oct. 1, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Secret Agent Man? Oversight of EPA's IG Investigation of John
Beale.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Arthur A. Elkins, Jr.,
Inspector General, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Mr.
Patrick Sullivan, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Robert Brenner,
Former Director of Policy Analysis and Review, Office of Air
and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. John
C. Beale, Former Senior Policy Advisor, U.S Environmental
Protection Agency; The Honorable Bob Perciasepe, Deputy
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Oct. 2, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Oversight of
the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit.'' Witnesses: Mr. Curtis
G. Wilson, Associate Chief Counsel, Passthroughs and Special
Industries, Internal Revenue Service; Mr. Rob Gramlich, Senior
Vice-President for Public Policy, American Wind Energy
Association; Mr. Dan W. Reicher, Executive Director, Steyer-
Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance at Stanford
University; Robert J. Michaels, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Institute
for Energy Research, Professor of Economics, California State
University, Fullerton.
Oct. 9, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Examining the IRS's Role in Implementing and Enforcing
ObamaCare.'' Witnesses: Ms. Sarah Hall Ingram, Director,
Affordable Care Act Office, Internal Revenue Service.
Oct. 16, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee and the Committee
on Natural Resources joint hearing entitled, ``As Difficult As
Possible: The National Park Service's Implementation of the
Government Shutdown.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Greg Bryan,
Mayor, Town of Tusayan; Ms. Anna Eberly, Managing Director,
Claude Moore Colonial Farm; The Honorable Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Director, National Park Service; Ms. Lisa Simon, President,
National Tourism Association; Mr. Myron Ebell, Director, Center
for Energy and Environment, Competitive Enterprise Institute;
and Mr. Denis P. Galvin, Board Member, National Parks
Conservation Association.
Oct. 29, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee Business Meeting.
Oct. 30, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``A Culture of Mismanagement and Wasteful Conference Spending
at the Department of Veterans Affairs.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Gina Farrisee, Assistant Secretary for Human
Resources and Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs; Mr. Edward Murray, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Finance, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; The Honorable
John Sepulveda, Former Assistant Secretary for Human Resources
and Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; The
Honorable Richard Griffin, Deputy Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Gary Abe, Deputy Assistant
Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs.
Nov. 13, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``ObamaCare Implementation: The Rollout of Healthcare.gov.''
Witnesses: Mr. David A. Powner, Director of IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Henry Chao,
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Deputy Director of the Office
of Information Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services; Mr. Frank Baitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. Todd Park, Chief
Technology Officer of the United States, Office of Science and
Technology Policy; Mr. Steven VanRoekel, Chief Information
Officer of the United States, and Administrator, Office of
Electronic Government, Office of Management and Budget; Mr.
Richard A. Spires, Former Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; and Ms. Karen Evans, Partner,
KE&T Partners, LLC.
Nov. 14, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security hearing entitled, ``Border Security Oversight, Part
III: Border Crossing Cards and B1/B2 Visas.'' Witnesses: Mr.
John Wagner, Acting Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of
Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Mr. John
P. Woods, Assistant Director, National Security Investigations
Division, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement, Mr. Edward J. Ramotowski, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, Bureau of Consular
Affairs, U.S. Department of State; and Mr. Juan Osuna,
Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S.
Department of Justice.
Nov. 14, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Reviewing Alternatives to
Amtrak's Annual Losses in Food and Beverage Service.''
Witnesses: Mr. Tom Hall, Chief of Customer Services, Amtrak,
Mr. Ted Alves, Inspector General, Amtrak Office of the
Inspector General; Mr. Dwayne Bateman, Amtrak Food and Beverage
Service Employee.
Nov. 19, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Continuing
Oversight of the Social Security Administration's Mismanagement
of Federal Disability Programs.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Patrick O'Carroll, Inspector General, Social Security
Administration; Mr. Glenn E. Sklar, Deputy Commissioner,
Disability Adjudication and Review, Social Security
Administration; and Mr. Jasper J. Bede, Regional Chief
Administrative Law Judge, Region 3 Office of Disability
Adjudication and Review, Social Security Administration.
Nov. 20, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security hearing entitled, ``Abuse of Overtime at DHS: Padding
Paychecks and Pensions at Taxpayer Expense.'' Witnesses: Mr.
John Florence, Branch Chief, Use of Force Policy Division,
Field Operations Academy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
The Honorable Carolyn N. Lerner, Special Counsel, U.S. Office
of Special Counsel; Ms. Catherine V. Emerson, Chief Human
Capital Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr.
Ronald Vitiello, Deputy Chief, Office of Border Patrol, U.S.
Customs and Border Protection; and Mr. Brandon Judd, President,
National Border Patrol Council, American Federation of
Government Employees.
Nov. 22, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee field hearing
entitled, ``ObamaCare Implementation: Sticker Shock of
Increased Premiums for Healthcare Coverage.'' Witnesses: Mr.
Dan Waters, President, Dan Waters & Associates; Mrs. Sherry
Overbey, Director, Belmont Crisis Pregnancy Center; Mr. Joel
Long, President, Gastonia Sheet Metal Services; Mr. Jason
Falls, Owner, Falls Insurance; and Mr. Tav Gauss, President,
The Action Group Human Resources Solutions.
Nov. 25, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee field hearing
entitled, ``ObamaCare Implementation: High Costs, Few Choices
for Rural America.'' Witnesses: Mr. Raymer M. Sale, Jr.,
President, E2E Benefits Services, Inc.; Jeff Charles Reinhardt,
Ph.D., President, The Longstreet Clinic, P.C.; Mr. Michael
Boyette, Owner, Owl Town Auto; and Mrs. Emma Lucille Collins,
Owner, Synergy Wellness.
Dec. 2, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Changes to The Heights Act: Shaping Washington, D.C., for the
Future, Part II.'' Witnesses: Ms. Harriet Tregoning, Director,
DC Office of Planning; and Mr. Marcel C. Acosta, Executive
Director, National Capital Planning Commission.
Dec. 3, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations field hearing entitled, ``Federal Trade Commission
and General Services Administration Thwart Cost Saving
Consolidation.'' Witnesses: Mr. David Robbins, Executive
Director, Federal Trade Commission; and Mr. Chris Wisner,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Leasing, Public Buildings
Service, General Services Administration.
Dec. 3, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``Assessing Government's Use of Design-Build Contracts.''
Witnesses: Mr. James Dalton, Chief of the Engineering and
Construction Division, Directorate of Civil Works, United
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); Mr. Charles Dalluge,
Executive Vice President, Leo A Daly Company, On behalf of the
American Institute of Architects; and Mr. Randall Gibson,
President, Whitesell-Green, Inc., On behalf of the Associated
General Contractors of America.
Dec. 4, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``The Roll Out of HealthCare.gov: The Limitations of Big
Government.'' Witnesses: Veronique de Rugy, Ph.D., Senior
Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University;
Clifford Winston, Searle Freedom Trust Senior Fellow, Economic
Studies Program, The Brookings Institution; Mark A. Calabria,
Ph.D., Director of Financial Regulation Studies, Cato
Institute; and Karen Kruse Thomas, Ph.D., Historian and
Communications Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health.
Dec. 6, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee field hearing
entitled, ``ObamaCare Implementation: The Broken Promise: If
You Like Your Current Plan You Can Keep It.'' Witnesses: Mrs.
Julie Dalton, Arizona; Ms. Diana Robinson, Arizona; Mr. Steve
Montgomery, Arizona/California Border; and Mrs. Christie
Hamman, Arizona.
FULL COMMITTEE BUSINESS MEETINGS HELD
January 22, 2013--Full Committee Organization Meeting
Summary:
(1) Adopted Committee Rules for the 113th Congress; and
(2) Approved Subcommittee Membership.
February 5, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Oversight Plan
for the 113th Congress. The Oversight Plan was approved by
voice vote.
** Subcommittee assignments approved for Democrat Members
recently named to the Committee.
February 14, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in
open session to consider:
Committee Report entitled, ``Billions of Federal Tax
Dollars Misspent on New York's Medicaid Program.''
Mr. Issa offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
The report, as amended, was reported to the House
favorably, by voice vote.
March 20, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in
open session to consider:
1. H.R. 249 (Chaffetz), the Federal Employee Tax
Accountability Act of 2013.
Rep. Speier offered an amendment to change the definition
of ``seriously delinquent tax debt.'' She later withdrew the
amendment.
H.R. 249 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
2. H.R. 882 (Chaffetz), the Contracting and Tax
Accountability Act of 2013.
H.R. 882 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
3. H.R. 313 (Emerson/Farenthold), the Government Spending
Accountability Act of 2013.
Rep. Farenthold offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS).
Rep. Clay offered an amendment to the Farenthold ANS
expanding on the international conference rule to allow the
head of an agency to grant a waiver in some circumstances. The
amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Clay offered an amendment to the Farenthold ANS
exempting the public disclosure requirements for materials used
at a conference, as well as providing a detailed breakdown of
expenses unless the total cost in either instance exceeded more
than $50,000. Chairman Issa asked unanimous consent to strike
any exemption for producing materials, and to change
``$50,000'' to ``$10,000.'' There was no objection.
The Clay amendment (as modified by the Issa U.C.) was
agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Pocan offered an amendment to the Farenthold ANS to
modify the language regarding annual travel expense limits. He
later withdrew the amendment.
The Farenthold ANS, as amended, was agreed to by voice
vote.
H.R. 313, as amended, was reported favorably to the House,
a quorum being present, by voice vote.
4. H.R. 328 (Chaffetz), the Excess Federal Building and
Property Disposal Act of 2013.
H.R. 328 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
5. H.R. 1163 (Issa), the Federal Information Security
Amendments Act of 2013.
H.R. 1163 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
6. H.R. 1232 (Issa), the Federal Information Technology
Acquisition Reform Act.
H.R. 1232 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
7. H.R. 1211 (Issa), the FOIA Oversight and Implementation
Act of 2013.
Rep. Turner offered an amendment to add a section at the
end of the bill--``Sec. 4. Applicability of FOIA.'' He later
withdrew the amendment.
Rep. Duckworth offered an amendment which added language
regarding duplication fees. The amendment was agreed to by
voice vote.
Rep. Turner offered an amendment which expanded on the
requirements of the Government Accountability Office with
regard to section 552 of title 5 of the U.S. Code. The
amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
Rep. Mica offered an amendment to add a section to the end
of the bill to require each agency's Office of Inspector
General to review FOIA compliance--``Sec. 4. Inspector General
Review; Adverse Actions.'' The amendment was agreed to by voice
vote.
H.R. 1211, as amended, was reported favorably to the House,
a quorum being present, by voice vote.
8. H.R. 1162 (Issa), the Government Accountability Office
Improvement Act.
H.R. 1162 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
9. H.R. 1133 (Duncan), the Presidential Library Donation
Reform Act.
H.R. 1133 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
10. H.R. 1104 (Clay), the Federal Advisory Committee Reform
Act.
H.R. 1104 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
11. H.R. 1246 (Norton), the DC CFO Vacancy Act.
H.R. 1246 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
12. H.R. 1233 (Cummings), Presidential and Federal Records
Act Amendments of 2013.
Chairman Issa offered an amendment which added language
regarding disclosure requirements for personal e-mail use
regarding government business. The amendment was agreed to by
voice vote.
H.R. 1233, as amended, was reported favorably to the House,
a quorum being present, by voice vote.
13. H.R. 1234 (Cummings), the Electronic Message
Preservation Act.
Chairman Issa offered an amendment which added language
regarding disclosure requirements for personal e-mail use
regarding government business. The amendment was agreed to by
voice vote.
H.R. 1234, as amended, was reported favorably to the House,
a quorum being present, by voice vote.
May 22, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in
open session to consider:
1. H.R. 2061 (Issa), the ``Digital Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2013.''
Chairman Issa offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
H.R. 2061 was reported favorably to the House, as amended,
a quorum being present, by voice vote.
2. H.R. 568 (Ross), to amend title 5, United States Code,
to require that the Office of Personnel Management submit an
annual report to Congress relating to the use of official time
by Federal employees.
Chairman Issa offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
H.R. 568 was reported favorably to the House, as amended, a
quorum being present, by voice vote.
3. H.R. 1380 (Quigley), the ``Access to Congressionally
Mandated Reports Act.''
Chairman Issa offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
H.R. 1380 was reported favorably to the House, as amended,
a quorum being present, by voice vote.
4. H.R. 2067 (Meadows), the ``Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau Personnel Flexibilities Act.''
H.R. 2067 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
5. H.R. 1171 (Benishek), the ``FOR VETS Act of 2013.''
H.R. 1171 was reported favorably to the House, a quorum
being present, by voice vote.
June 28, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in
open session to consider:
A resolution concerning whether Lois Lerner, the Director
of Exempt Organizations at the Internal Revenue Service, waived
her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination when
she made a statement at the Committee hearing on May 22, 2013.
Rep. Norton offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute. The amendment was defeated by a recorded vote of 16
Ayes to 20 Noes.
Voting Aye: Cummings, Norton, Tierney, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth, Kelly, Davis,
Welch, Cardenas, and Horsford.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, Duncan, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Hastings,
Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins, Meadows, Bentivolio, and
DeSantis.
The Chairman moved that the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform approve the resolution finding that Lois
Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment privilege on May 22, 2013.
The motion was approved by a recorded vote of 22 Ayes to 17
Noes.
Voting Aye: Issa, Mica, Turner, Duncan, McHenry, Jordan,
Chaffetz, Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais,
Gowdy, Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Massie, Collins, Meadows,
Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
Voting No: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay, Lynch,
Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth, Kelly,
Davis, Welch, Horsford, and Lujan Grisham.
July 24, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in
open session to consider:
H.R. 2748, the Postal Reform Act of 2013--reported
favorably, as amended, by a vote of 22-17.
Voting Yes: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
Voting No: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay, Lynch,
Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth, Kelly,
Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Amendments:
(1) Cummings ANS--defeated by a vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
(2) Woodall--limits the size of non-cash compensation to
very senior postal executives until the financial crisis is
resolved--agreed to by voice vote.
(3) Tierney--strikes Sec. 306 (Postal Service workers'
compensation reform)--defeated by a vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
(4) Farenthold--adds new Sec. 703--ensures that the USPS
adheres to generally accepted accounting principles in
developing plans to return the USPS to solvency--agreed to by
voice vote.
(5) Lynch--strikes Sec. 102 (Delivery-point
modernization)--defeated by a vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
(6) Meehan--to ensure that local communities have specific
input into the delivery point modernization process--agreed to
by voice vote.
(7) Lynch--strikes Sec. 301 (Applicability of reduction-in-
force procedures)--defeated by a vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
(8) Lynch--strikes Sec. 501 (Treatment of Postal Service
post-employment benefit funding projected surpluses)--defeated
by a vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
(9) Turner en bloc (2 parts)--encourages the increased use
of innovative mailpiece design as a way to spur the increased
use of mail--agreed to by voice vote.
(10) Pocan--regarding pre-fund requirement--WITHDRAWN
(11) Davis--regarding air carriers of packages--WITHDRAWN
(12) Meehan--adds Sec. 107 (Sense of Congress with respect
to delivery points)--WITHDRAWN
(13) Mica--``amends the Obama healthcare bill''--WITHDRAWN
H.R. 2793, the District of Columbia Financial Efficiency
Act of 2013--reported favorably, without amendment, by
unanimous consent.
H.R. 1541, the Common Sense in Compensation Act--reported
favorably, as amended, by voice vote.
Amendments:
(1) Meadows ANS--agreed to by voice vote (as amended by
Lynch 2)
(2) Lynch (to Meadows ANS)--waiver on 5% cap--agreed to by
voice vote (as amended by Issa 3)
(3) Issa (to Lynch)--agreed to by voice vote
H.R. 2579, the Government Employee Accountability Act--
reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote
Amendments:
(1) Issa ANS (for Farenthold)--agreed to by voice vote, as
amended.
(2) Lynch (to Issa ANS)--regarding due process--defeated by
a vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
(3) Connolly (to Issa ANS)--prohibits an agency from using
the expedited termination procedure to retaliate against a
Senior Executive Service whistleblower or to bring expedited
termination against an SES employee who has a pending claim of
whistleblower retaliation--agreed to by voice vote.
(4) Cummings (to Issa ANS)--prohibits an agency from using
the expedited termination procedure to discriminate against a
Senior Executive Service employee or to bring expedited
termination against an SES employee who has a pending claim of
discrimination--agreed to by voice vote.
(5) Speier (to Issa ANS)--The Speier amendment makes
several changes to the standard for immediate termination,
allowing an agency to terminate a Senior Executive Service
(SES) employee for ``serious'' neglect of duty,
misappropriation of funds, or malfeasance if the agency
determines the SES employee acted in a manner that
``knowingly'' endangers the interest of the agency mission--
agreed to by voice vote.
(6) Lynch (to Issa ANS)--prevents an agency head from
terminating a Senior Executive Service employee without an
administrative waiting period (essentially gutting half of the
bill). The effect of the amendment is to grant SES employees a
minimum 30 days advance notice of the termination, a minimum of
7 days to respond to the notice of termination, and the
potential for an internal hearing (the procedures agencies
currently follow when taking disciplinary action against an SES
employee)--agreed to by voice vote.
H.R. 899, the Unfunded Mandates Information and
Transparency Act of 2013--reported favorably by a vote of 22-
17.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
Amendments:
(1) Lynch--regarding sequestration--defeated by voice vote
(2) Connolly--to apply early stakeholder consultation
requirement to ``any interested individual''--defeated by a
vote of 17-22.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth,
Kelly, Davis, Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy,
Farenthold, Hastings, Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins,
Meadows, Bentivolio, and DeSantis.
H.R. 1423, the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act--reported
favorably, as amended, by voice vote
Amendments:
(1) Speier--regarding duplication of funds and overlaps--
agreed to by voice vote.
H.R. 2711, the Citizen Empowerment Act--reported favorably,
as amended, by voice vote
Amendments:
(1) Issa ANS--agreed to by voice vote.
(2) Cummings (to Issa ANS)--inserting a new subsection
``Coordination Provision''--defeated by vote of 14-18.
Voting Yes: Cummings, Maloney, Tierney, Clay, Lynch,
Cooper, Connolly, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth, Davis, Welch,
Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Walberg, Lankford,
Amash, Gosar, Meehan, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Hastings,
Lummis, Woodall, Massie, Collins, and Bentivolio.
H.R. 1660, the Government Customer Service Improvement Act
of 2013--reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote.
Amendments:
(1) Issa ANS--agreed to by voice vote.
October 29, 2013--Full Committee Business Meeting
Summary:
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in
open session to consider:
H.R. 2860 (Farenthold), the OPM IG Act--reported favorably,
by voice vote.
H.R. 3343 (Norton), to amend the District of Columbia Home
Rule Act to clarify the rules regarding the determination of
the compensation of the Chief Financial Officer of the District
of Columbia--reported favorably, by voice vote.
H.R. 3316 (Lankford), the Grant Reform and New Transparency
Act of 2013 (or the ``GRANT Act'').
Ms. Speier offered an amendment to allow agencies to reduce
the pre-grant financial management evaluation process only for
grantees that have received more than $10 million in federal
grants in the past 3 years. The amendment was agreed to by
voice vote.
Mr. Connolly offered an amendment to substitute posting
only grant application abstracts for the posting of full
successful grant applications. The amendment failed by a
recorded vote of 15-19.
Voting Aye: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay,
Lynch, Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth, Kelly,
Welch, Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
Voting No: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold,
Hastings, Woodall, Massie, Collins, Meadows, Bentivolio, and
DeSantis.
Mr. Pocan offered an amendment and then withdrew the
amendment.
The bill, H.R. 3316, was reported favorably, as amended, by
a vote of 19-15.
Voting Aye: Issa, Mica, Turner, McHenry, Jordan, Chaffetz,
Walberg, Lankford, Amash, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold,
Hastings, Woodall, Massie, Collins, Meadows, Bentivolio, and
DeSantis.
Voting No: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Tierney, Clay, Lynch,
Connolly, Speier, Cartwright, Pocan, Duckworth, Kelly, Welch,
Cardenas, and Lujan Grisham.
H.R. 3345 (Issa), the Stop Unworthy Spending Act (or the
``SUSPEND Act'').
Mr. Chaffetz (with Ms. Speier and Mr. Tierney) offered an
amendment to further strengthen the SUSPEND Act by requiring
timely referral and consideration of suspension and debarment
cases. Specifically, the amendment provides a 30-day time limit
for the referred cases to be either accepted or rejected by the
suspension and debarment official. It also requires all S&D
cases to be resolved within 6 months from the initial referral
date. The amendment further requires that the annual report to
Congress include the number and summary of any instances where
the agency head made determinations to allow a suspended or
debarred entity to receive new contracts or grants. The
amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
The bill, H.R. 3345, was reported favorably, as amended, by
voice vote.
III. Summary of Committee Oversight Plan
Pursuant to Rule X, Clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House,
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for the 113th
Congress adopted the following plan to guide the work of its
subcommittees and the full committee. Because of the
Committee's role as the principal oversight body of the federal
government and its mandate to investigate ``any matter at any
time,'' this plan did not preclude oversight and investigation
of other matters of importance to the American people.
The Committee's adopted plan indicates oversight in several
sectors, including:
Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and Mismanagement.
Financial Sector Regulation--including the
implementation of Dodd-Frank, reviewing the FCIC, the creation
of the CFBP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the
recommendations of the Special Inspector General, including the
failure of the Home Affordable Mortgage Program, and the
Federal Housing Finance Agency's oversight of Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac.
Consumer Protection--including abuses by the
mortgage industry which, coupled with high unemployment and a
stagnant economy, have contributed to the foreclosure crisis.
Government Accountability Office--including the
effectiveness of federal government inspectors general and
their freedom from political interference, and ensuring the
independence and integrity of the GAO, and the federal
government's actions on the recommendations in their biannual
High Risk Series and their new annual list of duplicative,
overlapping, and fractured federal programs.
Federal Financial Management--including the record
$125 billion in improper payments made in 2010, growth in non-
tax debt owed to the Federal Government, the persistent
inability of many federal agencies to achieve a clean audit,
and a comprehensive detailed review of financial management
systems in place in the Federal Government.
Federal Real Property Disposal--including the
proposal for a pilot program at GSA to reduce the federal
deficit by disposing of excess property.
Government Contracting--including information
technology acquisition and suspension and debarment.
Open Government and Transparency--including
federal spending data accuracy, grant reform, the
implementation of the Government Performance and Review Act and
Performance.gov, compliance with the Presidential Records Act
and the Federal Records Act and the need to update those acts
to keep up with technology, political travel and the Hatch Act,
allegations of political interference with the Freedom of
Information Act, and a government-wide review of FOIA backlogs
and agency efforts to eliminate them.
Technology Policy--including the Committee's
ongoing oversight of the Federal Information Security
Management Act, and the emergence of a federal cybersecurity
policy.
Federal Regulation and the Regulatory Process--
including updating and strengthening the Unfunded Mandates
Review Act of 1995, reviewing the role of the White House
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in rulemaking, and
initiating a government-wide and economy-wide review of
regulatory impediments to job creation, and soliciting input
from the private sector.
Energy--including actions taken by the Federal
Government that have impeded the development of domestic energy
resources, including actions taken to discourage the use of new
and newly deployed technologies.
Environment--including oversight of the management
of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Healthcare and Entitlements--including the
Affordable Care Act and federal disability programs.
District of Columbia--including D.C. fiscal
management, and general oversight of the D.C. government.
Census--including ensuring the accuracy of the
2020 census.
National Archives and Federal Records--including
improving transparency of presidential and federal records.
Government Management and the Federal Workforce--
including pay and benefits, the use of ``official time'' to
conduct union activities, and the administration of the Office
of Personnel Management.
United States Postal Service--focusing on policies
that will address the actual long-term fiscal sustainability of
USPS and avoid a taxpayer bailout.
National Security and Foreign Operations--
including the growing delays in the transition process from DOD
to Veterans Affairs health care systems for wounded warriors,
contracting in Afghanistan, and the failures that led to the
Benghazi attack.
Homeland Security--border security operations and
decision-making at the Department of Homeland Security, and
policies regarding privacy and security at airports and the
effectiveness of the Transportation Security Administration.
IV. Summary of Actions Taken and Recommendations Made With Respect to
the Oversight Plan
Waste, Fraud, Abuse and Mismanagement
The Committee held numerous hearings in 2013 focused on
waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement throughout the federal
government. On February 5th, the Committee held a hearing
entitled, ``Government Spending: How Can We Best Address the
Billions of Dollars Wasted Every Year?'' The Committee heard
from Citizens Against Government Waste alongside Taxpayers for
Common Sense. Dan Blair, a Bush administration OMB official,
testified on behalf of National Academy of Public
Administration, and John Kamensky, a former staffer for Vice
President Gore, represented the IBM Center for the Business of
Government.
In February, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job
Creation and Regulatory Affairs convened a hearing to coincide
with the fourth anniversary of the passage of the stimulus in
2009. The witnesses were experts on government spending and
unemployment insurance, including Casey Mulligan, a University
of Chicago economist who spoke about the impact that increased
unemployment insurance has on the jobless rate and
beneficiaries' likeliness to seek full-time employment.
On April 16th, 2013, the Committee held a hearing to
examine how the National Archives and Records Administration,
the National Park Service, and the Smithsonian planned to
implement spending adjustments related to sequestration.
Archives and the Smithsonian appeared to have started planning
for the possibility of sequestration as far back as late 2011
and therefore did not anticipate significant impacts to the
public. Witnesses included David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the
United States, National Archives and Records Administration;
Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director, National Park Service; and Dr. G.
Wayne Clough, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.
Continuing the Committee's multi-year oversight of the
DOE's Loan Program Office, on April 24th, 2013, Mr. Jordan's
subcommittee held a hearing on loan given to Fisker Automotive.
The hearing explored the circumstances leading to the DOE
offering taxpayer support for Fisker and its ill prospects for
repayment. Witnesses at the hearing included Henrik Fisker,
Former Executive Chairman, Fisker Automotive; Tony Posawatz,
CEO, Fisker Automotive; Bernhard Koehler, Chief Operating
Officer, Fisker Automotive.
On June 6, 2013, the Committee held a hearing to examine
the IRS's wasteful spending culture and excessive agency
conference spending. This abuse of taxpayer funds was also the
subject of an audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration. Witnesses included J. Russell George, Inspector
General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration;
Gregory Kutz, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Faris Fink,
Commissioner, Small Business and Self-Employed Division,
Internal Revenue Service; and Danny Werfel, Acting
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service.
On October 1, 2013 the Committee held a hearing to examine
the recent EPA Inspector General investigation into former EPA
employee John Beale, who pleaded guilty to defrauding the EPA
and receiving approximately $900,000 in pay for work not
performed. Mr. Beale also allegedly impersonated a CIA agent.
Witnesses included: the Honorable Arthur A. Elkins, Jr.,
Inspector General, EPA; Patrick Sullivan, Deputy Inspector
General for Investigations, EPA; John C. Beale, Former Senior
Policy Advisor, EPA; Robert Brenner, Former Director of Policy
Analysis and Review, Office of Air and Radiation, EPA; and the
Honorable Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator, EPA.
On October 16, 2013 the Committee held a joint hearing with
the Committee on Natural Resources to examine the National Park
Service's closure decisions. Chairman Issa issued a subpoena to
secure the testimony of Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director, National
Park Service. Other witnesses included Kevin Gardner, a legal
expert on private concessionaires; Anna Eberly, Managing
Director, Claude Moore Colonial Farm; and Mark Hoffman,
Chairman, National Tourism Association.
Financial Sector
On April 24, 2013, the Committee held an oversight hearing
on the Small Business Lending Fund. Created in 2010, the goal
of the SBLF was to increase the availability of credit to small
businesses, allowing them to expand and hire. The program
permitted the Department of the Treasury to invest up to $30
billion in small banks. However, the Special Inspector General
for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) found that
banks used the SBLF funds to exit TARP, rather than make loans
to small businesses. The Special Inspector General testified
that TARP banks participating in SBLF did not effectively
increase lending to small business, and offered specific
recommendations to improve the program. The Treasury Department
was unavailable to participate in the hearing on that date.
On July 18, 2013, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job
Creation and Regulatory Affairs held an oversight hearing
examining the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on community banks.
It is widely acknowledged that community banks in no way
contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Nonetheless, Dodd-
Frank imposes onerous regulatory burdens on community banks.
Because small banks are the least able to absorb the tremendous
compliance costs, the end result has been growing trend of bank
closures and consolidation. Ironically, this only contributed
to the ``too big to fail'' phenomenon that left taxpayers on
the hook for poor business decisions. The Subcommittee received
testimony from the President of a community bank in St.
Augustine, Florida, a former Member of Congress, and two
academics who have studied Dodd-Frank's impact on community
banking.
The Committee is overseeing the Securities and Exchange
Commission's consideration of a rule mandating that public
companies disclose their political expenditures. Documents
produced to the Committee demonstrate that the SEC's
professional staff strongly opposed such a rulemaking. Staff
argued that a corporate political disclosure rule is well-
outside the Commission's mandate, unnecessary in light of
existing shareholder proxy statement rules, and inappropriate
given outstanding mandatory rules in the Dodd-Frank Act and
JOBS Act. Notwithstanding these objections, the Commission
elected to place the rulemaking on the Office of Management and
Budget's Unified Regulatory Agenda. Documents produced to the
Committee indicate this decision was the product of intense
political pressure from external parties.
The Committee is conducting oversight of the Financial
Stability Oversight Council. Created by Title I of the Dodd-
Frank Act, FSOC is constituted of a broad swath of federal
financial regulators. Documents produced to the Committee in an
ancillary investigation provide strong evidence that FSOC's
operations may be infringing on the independence and core
competence of the Council's constituent regulatory bodies. This
infringement is particularly troubling in the cases where the
regulatory agency is headed by an independent, bipartisan
commission and not a single political appointee. The
Committee's is particularly concerned with the Council's
authority under Section 120 of the Dodd-Frank Act to issue
formal recommendations for regulatory action.
Consumer Protection
On January 4, 2013, Chairman Issa and Ranking Member
Cummings jointly wrote the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency to learn more about discussions both agencies had to
amend consent orders they had made in April 2011 with several
mortgage servicing companies regarding loan servicing and
foreclosure processing. In May 2013, Chairman Issa and Ranking
Member Cummings also wrote the FRB and the OCC to request
information regarding the amended consent orders the agencies
ultimately entered into with these companies on January 7,
2013.
Committee staff reviewed responsive documents at the OCC on
June 25, 3013, and reviewed responsive documents at the FRB on
November 1, 2013. The Committee continues discussions with the
OCC and FRB to receive copies of these documents and to
understand more fully how the amended consent orders are
operating in practice.
The Government Accountability Office
On February 14, 2013, the Committee held a hearing on the
Government Accountability Office's (GAO) high risk list
entitled ``Exploring GAO's High Risk List and Opportunities for
Reform.'' The hearing reviewed GAO's biannual high risk list,
which identified 30 areas of government that are most
susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.
Comptroller General Gene Dodaro testified about the high risk
areas, including climate change, federal contract management,
modernizing insurance and benefit programs, and transforming
the Department of Defense's program management.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing, ``Exploring GAO's High Risk List and
Opportunities for Reform,'' February 14, 2013. Available at: http://
oversight.house.gov/hearing/exploring-gaos-high-risk-list-and-
opportunities-for-reform-2/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On April 9, 2013, the Committee held a hearing on the GAO's
third annual report on duplication, overlap, fragmentation, and
opportunities for cost saving in government. The hearing was
entitled, ``Reducing Waste in Government: Addressing GAO's 2013
Report on Duplicative Federal Programs,'' and Comptroller
General Dodaro testified. The report identified 31 new areas,
including 17 instances of fragmentation, duplication, and
overlap, and 14 areas of potential cost savings. Comptroller
General Dodaro testified that many of the nearly 300
recommendations GAO had made in past reports remained
unaddressed.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing, ``Reducing Waste in Government: Addressing
GAO's 2013 Report on Duplicative Federal Programs,'' April 9, 2013.
Available at: http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/reducing-waste-in-
government-addressing-gaos-2013-report-on-duplicative-federal-programs/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On July 10, 2013, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports Show Feds Struggling to
Track Money and Performance.'' Comptroller General Dodaro
testified about GAO's work on the Government Performance and
Results Modernization Act (GPRAMA) and the 2012 Financial
Report of the U.S. Government. According to two reports
released by GAO on June 26, 2013, the federal government has
not fully implemented the program performance measurements
established under GPRAMA, and the measures that have been
implemented are not always useful to government program
managers or Congress. GAO also found that only 37 percent of
managers had conducted an evaluation for any program,
operation, or project in the last five years.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing, ``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports
Show Feds Struggling to Track Money and Performance,'' July 10, 2013.
Available at: http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/unaccountable-
government-gao-reports-show-feds-struggling-to-track-money-and-
performance/.
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Federal Real Property Disposal
On January 22, 2013, Subcommittee Chairman Jason Chaffetz
reintroduced the ``Excess Federal Building and Property
Disposal Act of 2013.'' This bill, H.R. 328, directs the
Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to
conduct a pilot program, in consultation with the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for the expedited
disposal of real property that is no longer meeting the needs
of the Federal Government. The bill establishes a grant program
under which homeless-serving organizations use a portion of
property sale proceeds under the pilot to provide permanent
housing for the homeless. H.R. 328 also makes permanent changes
to the Federal property disposal process and incentivizes
agencies to appropriately manage and efficiently dispose of
their real property assets. The bill was unanimously agreed to
by voice vote at a Committee mark up on March 20, 2013.
The Government Operations Subcommittee, led by Chairman
John Mica, held several hearings highlighting excess and
underutilized federal buildings. On February 27, 2013, Chairman
Mica held a hearing entitled, ``Failures in Managing Federal
Real Property: Billions in Losses.'' David Wise, director of
the Physical Infrastructure Team at the Government
Accountability Office (GAO), Dorothy Robyn, Commissioner of
Public Building Services at GSA, and Leonard Gilroy, Director
of the Government Reform Reason Foundation, served as hearing
witnesses. The hearing brought to light the facts that
nationally, the federal government owns 77,000 structures that
have been deemed vacant or underutilized --14,000 have been
deemed excess, and the government spends $1.67 billion per year
to maintain and operate these properties. David Wise testified
that poor communication between agencies and out-of-date or
unreliable data on the condition of federal properties has
exacerbated this problem.
On March 8, 2013, the Subcommittee held a field hearing
entitled, ``Addressing Unused and Vacant Federal Courthouses: A
Case Study in Miami-Dade, Florida'' at the David W. Dyer
Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Miami, Florida. This
particular courthouse has been vacant for approximately five
years. GSA has struggled to reposition it, and, unfortunately,
it costs the taxpayers $1.2 million annually to maintain.
On April 25, 2013, the Subcommittee held a field hearing
entitled, ``Government Operations Oversight: Addressing Unused
and Vacant Federal Property,'' in GSA's vacant L Street
Warehouse in Washington, D.C. The hearing examined the cost to
the taxpayers of underperforming or vacant assets and, in
particular, the status of the vacant GSA L Street Warehouse,
which costs GSA approximately $70,000 per year to operate and
maintain. In addition, the hearing also highlighted the
continued problems with the collection and accuracy of data
contained in the Federal Real Property Profile, a database
owned by OMB.
Government Contracting
Suspension and Debarment
In June 2013, the Committee held a hearing entitled:
``Protecting Taxpayer Dollars: Is the Government Using
Suspension and Debarment Effectively?'' GAO had identified
serious weaknesses in the suspension & debarment programs of
numerous agencies, which were supposed to keep the over $1
trillion taxpayer dollars awarded annually in contracts and
grants out of the hands of individuals and companies who should
not get them. Witnesses from a nonpartisan public interest
group and a law firm with extensive practice in the field of
suspension and debarment pointed out persistent problems with
procedural inconsistencies among various agency policies and
practice and the lack of transparency and timeliness in
handling cases. These fractured practices, in turn, led to the
government-wide excluded parties database used by all
contracting and grant officers remaining incomplete and
unreliable. The Committee, in response, introduced and advanced
a bipartisan legislation that reforms suspension and debarment
procedures and overhauls the organizational management of
suspension and debarment activity across the government.
Government Contracting and Information Technology
Acquisition
From the beginning of the 113th Congress, mismanagement of
federal information technology (IT) investments and the
weakness in overall acquisition practices have been a priority
of the Committee, and the Committee held a series of hearings
on the subject. In January, the Committee held a hearing
entitled, ``Wasting Information Technology Dollars: How Can the
Federal Government Reform its IT Investment Strategy?'' This
hearing confirmed that despite spending more than $600 billion
over the past decade, federal IT investments, too often, run
over budget, behind schedule, or never deliver on the promised
solution or functionality. Industry experts have estimated that
as much as 25 percent of the annual $80 billion spent on IT is
attributable to mismanaged or duplicative IT investments.
In February, the Committee held a follow-up hearing
entitled, ``Time to Reform IT Acquisition: The Federal IT
Acquisition Reform Act'' during which the Committee heard from
a variety of industry experts, academia, and government IT
leaders regarding the ways to reform IT acquisition as proposed
in the draft Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act.
In May, the Subcommittee on Government Operations held a
field hearing in Fairfax, Virginia entitled, ``Data Centers and
the Cloud: Is the Government Optimizing New Information
Technologies Opportunities to Save Taxpayers Money?'' In July,
the Subcommittee held a follow-up hearing entitled ``Data
Centers and the Cloud Part II: The Federal Government's Take on
Optimizing New Information Technologies Opportunities to Save
Taxpayers Money.'' The two hearings revealed serious weaknesses
in the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), an
OMB-driven program to reduce waste and duplication in
government IT infrastructure. Weaknesses included the lack of
complete inventory of data centers to be closed or
consolidated, the lack of consistent method for tracking cost
savings, and the lack of adequate management oversight over the
governance of the FDCCI program. GAO witness also provided the
current list of 17 troubled IT investments with the total value
of $102 billion, highlighting the significance of the need for
a reform.
Taking into consideration various findings and
recommendations from the above hearings and extensive
stakeholder feedback, the Committee advanced the bipartisan IT
acquisition reform legislation as an amendment to the House
version of Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
With respect to oversight of general acquisition practices,
in April, the Subcommittee on National Security held a hearing
entitled, ``Contracting to Feed U.S. Troops in Afghanistan: How
did the Defense Department end up in a Multi-Billion Dollar
Billing Dispute?'' This hearing examined problems associated
with the Defense Department's subsistence prime vendor contract
in Afghanistan with Supreme Foodservice GmbH (Supreme) a
privately held foreign company based in Amsterdam. Witnesses
from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the prime
contractor confirmed that while the scope of the contract
dramatically expanded to meet the needs of the military
operations within Afghanistan, the parties never finalized or
definitized the contract terms and prices, resulting in ongoing
legal dispute and overpayments.
In June, the Committee held a hearing entitled, ``The IRS
Contracts with Strong Castle, Inc.'' examining contracting
improprieties and mismanagement at the Internal Revenue
Service. This was the result of the Committee's 4-month long
investigation after learning that during 2012, the IRS awarded
contracts with a potential value of more than $500 million to
Strong Castle, Inc., which had no federal contracts prior to
2012. The Committee's investigation has raised serious
questions about the integrity of the acquisition process at the
IRS and how the agency is using the taxpayer money it collects.
Open Government and Technology
On March 13, 2013, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform held a Committee hearing on open government
and transparency in government entitled, ``Addressing
Transparency in the Federal Bureaucracy: Moving Toward A More
Open Government.'' The Committee heard testimony from
representatives of transparency watchdog groups, including Ms.
Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy, Project on
Government Oversight; Mr. Jim Harper, Director of Information
Policy Studies, Cato Institute; Mr. Daniel Schuman, Policy
Counsel, The Sunlight Foundation; and Ms. Celia Wexler, Senior
Washington Representative, Center for Science and Democracy,
Union of Concerned Scientists. The witnesses suggested areas of
reform needed in the Freedom of Information Act and other open
government laws.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing, ``Transparency in the Federal Bureaucracy:
Moving Toward A More Open Government,'' March 13, 2013. Available at:
http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/addressing-transparency-in-the-
federal-bureaucracy-moving-toward-a-more-open-government/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On September 10, 2013, the Committee held a Committee
hearing entitled, ``Preventing Violations of Federal
Transparency Laws.'' Witnesses included the Honorable Gary
Gensler, Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, The Honorable Lisa Jackson, former Administrator of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Jonathan Silver,
former Executive Director of the Loan Program Office at the
U.S. Department of Energy, Mr. Andrew McLaughlin, former Deputy
Chief Technology Officer at the Executive Office of the
President, and the Honorable David Ferriero, Archivist of the
United States. The hearing reviewed the government's policy on
email use, particularly using unofficial email to conduct
official work. Witnesses testified that the government does not
adequately train staff on how to use unofficial emails or store
their emails to comply with federal records laws.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technology Policy
On April 16, 2013, on a vote of 416-0, the Federal
Information Security Amendments Act of 2013 (H.R. 1163) was
approved by the House of Representatives. During the House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee Markup on March 20,
2013, the bill was also approved on a unanimous bipartisan
voice vote. H.R. 1163 enhances the Federal Information Security
Management Act (FISMA) of 2002 by improving the framework for
securing federal computer information technology systems. It
also establishes a mechanism for stronger oversight of
information technology systems by focusing on automated and
continuous monitoring of cybersecurity threats and regular
``threat assessments.''
Since its enactment, FISMA has become a compliance
activity, where all too often `check-the-box' compliance has
taken precedence over security enhancement. To ensure that
FISMA focuses on `real-time' threats and incorporates
technological developments occurring in the decade since its
enactment, H.R. 1163 was introduced. To address the increasing
security breaches highlighted by the aforementioned GAO study,
H.R. 1163 requires automated and continuous monitoring, when
possible, and regular threat assessments.
Under H.R. 1163, each agency is directed to develop,
document, and implement an agency-wide information security
program that includes a system that involves automated and
continuous monitoring. Each agency is also directed to conduct
vulnerability assessments and penetration tests commensurate
with the risk posed to agency information systems.
Moreover, the legislation highlights the need for a
stronger public/private relationship, by emphasizing the
importance of commercially developed information security
products to national security. The bill has received strong
support from cybersecurity experts and industry.
The Committee is continuing its oversight of cybersecurity
policy from the previous Congress, where the National Security,
Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee held
several hearings, including, ``Cybersecurity: Assessing the
Immediate Threat to the United States'' to examine
cybersecurity. Several private sector witnesses testified, as
well as Sean McGurk from the National Cyber Security Division
of the Department of Homeland Security, who informed the
Subcommittee that ``The United States confronts a combination
of known and unknown vulnerabilities, strong and rapidly
expanding adversary capabilities, and a lack of comprehensive
threat and vulnerability awareness.''
Federal Regulation and the Regulatory Process
The Committee's federal regulation and regulatory process
activities in the 113th Congress included passing regulatory
reform legislation out of Committee, sending letters of inquiry
and recommendation to agencies, and holding hearings on
specific regulatory action. In July 2013, the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act was reported by the Committee. In the spring, the
Committee inquired with the Office of Budget and Management
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) about the
status of the Unified Agenda. Earlier in the year, the
Committee sent a joint letter with the Judiciary Committee and
the Senate Committee on Homeland and Government Affairs
Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight to OIRA
encouraging the implementation of the Government Accountability
Office's recommendations in the ``Federal Rulemaking: Agencies
Could Take Additional Steps to Respond to Public Comments''
report.
On June 21, 2013, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a field hearing in Bakersville North Carolina entitled
``Building a Better Partnership: Exploring the Mine Safety and
Health Administration's Regulation of Southern Appalachian
Mining. The hearing examined the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) and its role in regulating metal/non-
metal mining in Southern Appalachia. Witnesses included Mr.
Marvin Lichtenfels, MSHA Deputy Administrator, Mr. Sam Bratton,
President of North Carolina Aggregates Association, Mr. Jeff
Stoll, Safety and Health Manager at the Quartz Corporation, and
Mr. Mack McNeely, Vice President at LBM Industries.
On July 18, 2013, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job
Creation and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing entitled
``Regulatory Burdens: The Impact of Dodd-Frank on Community
Banking.'' Witnesses included the Honorable R. Bradley Miller,
former Member of Congress and Senior Fellow at the Center for
American Progress, Ms. Hester Peirce, Senior Research Fellow at
the Mercatus Center, Ms. Tanya Marsh, Assistant Professor of
Law at Wake Forest University School of Law, and Mr. Eddie
Creamer, President and CEO of Prosperity Bank in St. Augustine
Florida. The hearing examined how federal regulations impact
community banks.
Also on July 18, 2013, the Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing entitled
``Examining the Obama Administration's Social Cost of Carbon
Estimates.'' The hearing examined the decision to recalculate
the economic cost of carbon emissions for rulemaking. OIRA
Administrator Howard Shelanski testified before the
Subcommittee as to how an interagency working group revised
previously issued guidance on the economic cost of carbon
emission and how that guidance is used in agency rulemaking.
On July 21, 2013, the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health
Care and Entitlements held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of
IRS's Legal Basis for Expanding ObamaCare's Taxes and
Subsidies.'' Witnesses included Mr. Jonathan Adler, Professor
of Law at Case Western Reserve University, the Honorable Scott
Pruitt, Oklahoma Attorney General, Mr. Charles Willey, M.D.,
CEO of Innovare Health Advocates Inc., and Ms. Emily McMahon,
Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at the U.S. Department of
Treasury. The hearing examined the legal basis for the joint
IRS and Treasury rule that extended ObamaCare's subsidies to
individuals in federal exchanges and the impact on individuals,
employers, and states.
Energy
In February 2013, the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health
Care and Entitlements kicked off its energy hearings in the
113th Congress with a hearing entitled, ``The Effects of Rising
Energy Costs on American Families and Employers.'' This hearing
set the agenda for energy oversight performed by the
Subcommittee by looking at how much increasing energy costs
affect American families and how the Administration's policies
and regulations increase energy costs.
In March 2013, the Subcommittee called the U.S. Department
of Energy to testify at a hearing about the permitting of
facilities to export Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), entitled,
``The Department of Energy's Strategy for Exporting Liquefied
Natural Gas.'' At this hearing, the Subcommittee heard
testimony from both Deloitte and the Brookings Institute about
the net positive benefits to the American economy of approving
permits for LNG export to non-free trade agreement countries.
Moreover, the Subcommittee asked Acting Assistant Secretary for
Fossil Energy, Christopher Smith, about the necessity to
expedite the LNG export permitting process in order for the
U.S. economy to capitalize on the country's abundance of
natural gas resources.
On May 16, 2013 at 10:30 a.m., the Subcommittee on Energy
Policy held a hearing entitled ``Opportunities Lost:
Constraints on Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands and
Waters.'' The hearing examined Department of the Interior
policies governing oil and gas production on federal lands and
waters. Testimony was received from the Acting Assistant
Secretary for Land and Minerals Management and an analyst from
the Government Accountability Office. Specific topics addressed
at the hearing included a proposed rule governing hydraulic
fracturing on federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land
Management, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's
policies with respect to offshore oil and gas exploration.
On June 5, 2013, the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health
Care and Entitlements held a hearing entitled, ``Up Against the
Blend Wall: Examining EPA's Role in the Renewable Fuel
Standard.'' The hearing examined the Renewable Fuel Standard
(RFS) including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
management of the program. The RFS determines the specific
amount of renewable fuel, most commonly corn-derived ethanol,
that must be contained within transportation fuel sold in the
United States. However, the high amount of renewable fuel
called for by the law is having profound negative consequences
for consumers. The Subcommittee heard from a variety of
affected parties, ranging from turkey farmer representatives to
gasoline producers about the negative effects of the RFS. The
Subcommittee also heard testimony from EPA about the waiver
authority afforded it by law and urged the agency to use it to
ameliorate the situation.
On July 18, 2013, the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled,
``Examining the Obama Administration's Social Cost of Carbon
Estimates.'' The hearing examined the Obama Administration's
decision to recalculate how it determines the economic cost of
carbon emissions for rulemaking. Testimony was provided by
Howard Shelanski, the Administrator of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs at the White House. The
Subcommittee was concerned about the lack of transparency about
this process and pressed Mr. Shelanski to conduct these
analyses in a more open and transparent manner.
On October 2, 2013, at 9:30 a.m., the Subcommittee on
Energy Policy held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Wind
Energy Production Tax Credit.'' The American Taxpayer Relief
Act of 2013, also known as the ``fiscal cliff deal,'' included
a 1-year extension of the Internal Revenue Code Sec. 45 tax
credit for electricity produced from wind sources. The hearing
considered the arguments for and against another extension of
the credit. A revenue estimate from the Joint Committee on
Taxation, prepared at the request of Subcommittee Chairman
James Lankford, found that a 1-year extension would cost
taxpayers $6.2 billion, while a 5-year extension would cost
$18.5 billion. The hearing also examined how the Internal
Revenue Service intends to enforce the ``beginning of
construction'' requirement of the current law, and featured
testimony from the IRS Associate Counsel for Passthroughs and
Special Industries.
Environment
The Committee held a hearing in October 2013, about fraud
committed by an employee of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The hearing entitled, ``Secret Agent Man: Oversight of
the EPA IG's Investigation of John Beale,'' brought to light
many of the facts surrounding the fraudulent actions of John
Beale, an EPA employee who claimed that he was a CIA agent
while working at the EPA. The Committee found that Beale was
never a CIA agent and that he instead used that as cover to go
on expensive trips and take time off from work at the same time
receiving a salary above the legal limit for federal employees.
The Committee continues to investigate the actions of EPA and
Mr. Beale in determining the extent to which fraud was
committed with taxpayer money.
The Committee continues to pursue an investigation into
EPA's conduct regarding the Pebble Mine project in Bristol Bay,
Alaska. EPA has been considering the use of an unprecedented
preemptive veto under the Clean Water Act of a mining permit
that has yet to be applied for. The agency has also undertaken
a study of the Bristol Bay watershed based on a hypothetical
mine plan that does not actually exist as part of its review of
this project. The Committee has requested email communications
and transcribed interviews with present and former EPA
officials in order to learn more and continues to investigate
the matter.
The Committee continues to pursue an investigation into the
use of alias email accounts at EPA as well as the implications
these accounts have for producing documents through the Freedom
of Information Act and in response to Congressional inquiries.
In April 2013, in conjunction with Ranking Member David Vitter
of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works,
Chairman Issa sent a letter to EPA requesting email
communications from Administrator Gina McCarthy as well as
former Administrator Lisa Jackson's alias email account that
were produced in a heavily redacted form pursuant to a FOIA
request. The Committee continues to investigate this matter.
Health Care and Entitlements
In March of 2013, the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform in its relentless pledge to the American people of
continuing to watch out for taxpayers' dollars released a
report entitled ``Billions of Federal Tax Dollars Misspent on
New York's Medicaid Program''. The report focused on New York
because New York State's Medicaid program is the largest in the
country. In fiscal year 2010, New York's $2,700 per resident
Medicaid spending exceeded per capita Medicaid spending in the
rest of the country by more than $1,500. Poor program oversight
by both the State and federal Government has contributed to
these problems. The report discussed past findings of the
Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS), investigative reporters, whistle-
blowers and this Committee of waste, fraud, and abuse within
New York's Medicaid program. It also explicitly recognized the
positive and significant reform efforts of New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo, highlighted continuing concerns and offered
several recommendations aimed at protecting future tax dollars.
In April, the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care
and Entitlements held a hearing entitled, ``Examining the Lack
of Transparency and Consumer-Driven Market Forces in U.S.
Health Care.'' The hearing examined serious problems within the
U.S. health care system, including adverse health care events
experienced by patients resulting from poor care and
overtreatment and the burden on families and taxpayers
resulting from rising health care spending. The hearing also
looked into the causes and consequences of medical mistakes and
the lack of publicly available information about provider
performance. The Subcommittee heard testimony from two
witnesses, Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. John Goodman, both of whom
have studied the problems that exist in the U.S. health care
system.
In May, the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and
Entitlements in a joint effort with the Subcommittee on
Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs held a
joint hearing entitled, ``Examining the Concerns About
ObamaCare Outreach Campaign.'' The Subcommittees heard
testimony from Mr. Gary Cohen, an official from the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), regarding the funding,
selection, training and oversight of Navigators and in-person
assisters (Assisters), who are responsible for education and
outreach efforts to individuals covered by the new health
insurance exchanges set up by the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act. The hearing closely examined ObamaCare's
outreach program in an effort to better understand how these
multi-faceted and wide-reaching programs are being implemented.
This hearing enabled the Subcommittees to seek further
clarification on the issues and better understand HHS's vision
for the Navigators and Assisters in the program.
On July 17th, a joint hearing effort took place between the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on
Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements, and the Committee
on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity,
Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies when a
hearing entitled, ``Evaluating Privacy, Security, and Fraud
Concerns with ObamaCare's Information Sharing Apparatus'' was
held. The Subcommittees examined the development of the federal
data hub established by ObamaCare, the Department of Health and
Human Services' plans for protecting the personal data of
individuals who purchase coverage through the new state health
insurance exchanges and the new federally-facilitated health
insurance exchanges. This hearing also focused on how the data
that will be gathered through these sources will be used to
verify applicant's eligibility for tax credits. The hearing
also placed focus on how the data hub will transmit personally
identifiable information, such as social security numbers,
dates of birth, marital status, number of dependents, household
income and citizenship status. It was important to understand
how the department plans to implement and operate this system
as it will hold very delicate information from citizens signing
up for Obamacare, as well as for determining any credits that
individuals receive.
The same month on July 31st, the Subcommittee on Energy
Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements held a hearing entitled,
``Oversight of IRS's Legal Basis for Expanding ObamaCare's
Taxes and Subsidies.'' ObamaCare made health insurance
subsidies available in states that established their own health
insurance exchanges, but the IRS and Treasury department issued
a rule that extended those subsidies to individuals in states
that decided not to establish their own health insurance
exchanges. The Subcommittee examined the legal basis for the
joint IRS and Treasury rule that extended ObamaCare's subsidies
to individuals in federal exchanges as well as the rule's
impact on individuals, employers and states. The subcommittee
invited and took testimony from stakeholders and experts on the
legality of IRS and Treasury's rule, the process used to form
the rule, and the effects of the rule on the general public.
This investigation is still on-going.
In September 28th, Majority staff released a preliminary
report entitled ``Risks of Fraud and Misinformation with
ObamaCare Outreach Campaign: How Navigator and Assister Program
Mismanagement Endangers Consumers''. ObamaCare requires states
to establish ``Navigators'' to conduct outreach about the law,
provide fair and impartial information to consumers, and
facilitate enrollment in new health insurance exchanges and
state Medicaid programs. However, ObamaCare explicitly
prohibited states from using federal exchange establishment
grants to fund Navigator organizations; instead ObamaCare
required that Navigators receive funding from a state
exchange's operational funds. When several states objected to
financing Navigators with state revenue, the Administration
created a twin program called In-Person Assisters (Assisters)
in states with state-based exchanges. This year alone, the
Administration will provide several hundred million dollars of
unauthorized taxpayer funds to Assister organizations. The
committee has and will continue to further look into this
matter to make sure that all statutes are followed and that
taxpayer funds are not victims of waste, fraud or abuse.
On October 9, the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform held a hearing entitled, ``Examining the IRS's Role in
Implementing and Enforcing ObamaCare.'' The Committee examined
the operational challenges that the IRS faces in implementing
ObamaCare, including the many new taxes that IRS will implement
as well as the determination, payment, and reconciliation of
the advanced tax credits. Sarah Hall Ingram, of the IRS's
Affordable Care Act Office and Former Commissioner for Tax
Exempt and Government Entities was invited to testify at this
hearing. Additionally, the committee touched upon on the IRS's
role in enforcing ObamaCare's taxes and implementing its
subsidies and its central role in the data-sharing network
created by the Department of Health and Human Services to
conduct eligibility determinations and calculations for
advanced health insurance tax credits.
On November 13th, the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform held a hearing entitled, ``ObamaCare Implementation: The
Rollout of HealthCare.gov''. The Committee examined the
Administration's development and rollout of Healthcare.gov,
including whether the Administration followed industry best
practices in the development of ObamaCare's information
technology systems. The launch of Healthcare.gov which was to
go live on October 1, 2013 in accordance to industry standards
was anything but a success. The website given the user volume
experienced could not handle the amount of traffic, leading to
its service interruptions/glitches which led the Committee to
contact and call for documentation from twelve different
vendors involved in its construction and eight tech giants to
see whether they had involvement on the IT project.
The Committee received thousands of pages in document
productions by these vendors and entities. The hearing examined
the operational challenges at the root of the troubled website
launch, and compared them to best practices in the industry.
Invited to testify were Mr. Steven VanRoekel, CIO of the United
States, Mr. Todd Park, CIO Office of Science and Technology
Policy, Mr. Henry Chao, Deputy CIO for Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, Mr. Frank Baitman, CIO of HHS, Mr. David
Powner, Director of IT Management Issues with the GAO, Mr.
Richard Spires, former CIO of Homeland Security and lastly Ms.
Karen Evans, Partner at KE&T Partners, LLC. While the
investigation is still on-going, given the testimony and
evidence presented at the hearing and received productions, it
is clear that there was poor implementation, development, and
testing of HealthCare.gov. This investigation is still on-
going.
The Committee held four field hearings to examine the
impact of Obamacare on individuals and employers across the
nation. On November 22, the first hearing entitled ``ObamaCare
Implementation: Sticker Shock of Increased Premiums for
Healthcare Coverage'' took place in Gastonia, NC and examined
the impacts of ObamaCare on the citizens of that State. The
second hearing ``ObamaCare Implementations: High Costs, Few
Choices for Rural America'' took place on November 25th in
Gainesville, GA and this hearing focused on ObamaCare's impact
on health insurance coverage and premiums in Georgia as well as
its effects on the local economy.
In December the committee traveled to the states of Arizona
and Texas to further examine Obamacare's regulations and its
effect on the U.S. general public. These two hearings entitled
``Obamacare Implementation, The Broken Promise: If You Like
Your Current Plan You Can Keep It'' and ``ObamaCare
Implementation: Who Are The Navigators?'' further examined the
ObamaCare implementation issues including the controversy of
who the Navigators are, and what are the requirements necessary
to become one. In preparation for questions/inquiries for these
hearings the committee performed two transcribed interviews in
regards to the Navigators program, additionally a transcribed
interview with Mr. Henry Chao, Deputy CIO for Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, and seven other additional
interviews related to Healthcare.gov and its failed launch.
In addition to the hearings, staff reports, and witnesses
invited to testify in front of the Oversight and Government
Reform committee and Subcommittees, in 2013 we have sent over
17 letters addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius ranging in topic and depth in regards to
HHS's role on the implementation, development and rollout of
ObamaCare. The level of response has varied from the department
and we will continue to address letters as needed in the future
as we see fit to seek clarification to the committee's
inquiries and on-going investigations.
Federal Disability Programs (SSDI/SSI)
In March, the Committee began a major oversight effort to
examine the Social Security Administration's management of the
federal disability programs including the pressure the agency
applied on administrative law judges (ALJs) to decide an
increasing number of cases and the failure to guarantee program
integrity by completing continuing disability reviews (CDRs) in
a timely manner to ensure that beneficiaries are still eligible
for the programs.
To date, the Committee has written four letters to SSA
requesting documents and information and engaged in a series of
briefings with SSA on various issues relating to the oversight
including the agency's decision to establish production goals
for ALJs in order to pay down the backlog. SSA's own data shows
that from 2005-2013, over 930,000 individuals were added to the
program by ALJs who approved over 80 percent of their cases.
Many of these individuals have never been reviewed to determine
whether or not they were added to the program appropriately
since the agency has a 1.3 million backlog of CDRs.
In addition, the Committee wrote the Inspector General
(OIG) about unimplemented recommendations for SSA and engaged
in a series of briefings regarding OIG's investigation of a
criminal conspiracy to defraud the federal disability programs
in Puerto Rico.
On June 27th, the Energy Policy, Health Care, and
Entitlements subcommittee held a hearing entitled ``Oversight
of Rising Social Security Disability Claims and the Role of
Administrative Law Judges'' where four current or former SSA
ALJs testified about fundamental problems with the disability
adjudication process. Former SSA ALJ J.E. Sullivan testified
that ``the SSA management's high volume and speedy production
goal agenda results in management pressuring judges to stop all
meaningful adjudication work'' and results ``in production of a
large number of disability decisions that have not been
properly reviewed, analyzed, or decided.'' The SSA official
responsible for managing the disability adjudication and review
process also testified about current SSA initiatives to improve
the adjudication process.
The Committee also was contacted by over a dozen current or
former SSA ALJs who echoed their concerns about SSA's emphasis
of quantity over quality as well as other problems including
attorney misconduct and outdated SSA policies that impacted the
ability of ALJs to make fair and timely decisions.
The Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements
subcommittee held a follow up hearing on November 19th entitled
``Continuing Oversight of the Social Security Administration's
Mismanagement of Federal Disability Program.'' Three SSA
officials and the Inspector General testified about various
program integrity initiatives and timetables for reform.
The committee has also conducted three transcribed
interviews of SSA officials to assist with the oversight. The
three witnesses testified that while SSA introduced a 500-700
production goal for ALJs in 2007, many ALJs decided thousands
of cases per year until the agency started limiting case
assignments in 2011. The witnesses also testified that any ALJs
who decide more than 700 cases per year may be sacrificing
quality yet the agency currently still allows ALJs to be
assigned 860 cases per year. The Committee also learned that
there are inconsistencies among ALJs regarding methods for case
review and application of rules and regulations.
The Committee also wrote to the U.S. Government
Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that it review the role
of private consultants and organizations in increasing the
number of individuals enrolled in federal disability programs.
GAO accepted this project and will complete the review in 2014.
The Administrative Conference of the United States also
briefed the Committee, Chairman Lankford, and Ranking Member
Speier on its recommendations for how SSA can improve the
programs.
District of Columbia
During the 113th Congress, legislation and oversight
relating to the District of Columbia is being handled by the
full Committee, rather than by a subcommittee.
The Committee continues to monitor and oversee the
implementation of the Opportunity Scholarship Program, which
was reauthorized in 2011. The program has seen modest growth
since that time and the Committee continues to work with the
city and the Department of Education to strengthen the program
and boost enrollment.
Following up on the D.C. Subcommittee's 2012 work on the
law that governs the city's building heights, the Chairman
asked the National Capital Planning Commission and the city to
jointly study how modifying the city's height restrictions
might impact both the federal and local constituencies inside
the District. The Committee is reviewing both NCPC and the
city's findings on building heights.
The Committee also is committed to granting D.C. autonomy
over its locally-generated budget. The federal government
shutdown in October 2013 illustrated how important it is for
the city to have authority to spend its own dollars outside of
the federal appropriations process.
The Census
On September 11, 2013, the Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census held a hearing
entitled: ``Ensuring an Accurate and Affordable 2020 Census.''
The hearing examined the status of a number of cost saving
reforms the Census Bureau is considering implementing for the
2020 decennial census. These potential reforms include offering
an internet census response option, the use of electronic
devices for enumerators, improved IT infrastructure, and an
expanded use of administrative records. Discussion at the
hearing focused, in particular, on shifting to a more flexible
``bring your own device'' model for enumerators and the
potential disadvantages of building an internal proprietary IT
infrastructure. Witnesses at the hearing included Census Bureau
Director John Thompson, as well as two representatives from the
Government Accountability Office.
National Archives and Federal Records
On March 20, 2013, the Committee considered two pieces of
legislation designed to help modernize and improve the
transparency of presidential and federal records. H.R. 1233,
the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2013,
was introduced by Ranking Member Cummings and approved by the
Committee on a voice vote. H.R. 1234, the Electronic Message
Preservation Act, was introduced by Ranking Member Cummings and
also was approved by the Committee on a voice vote. Both bills
were reported from the Committee as H.R. 3071 during the 112th
Congress. Additionally, this Congress identical text was added
to both pieces of legislation in order to create a framework
for the use of personal electronic messaging accounts to
conduct official business.
Government Management and the Federal Workforce
The Committee held five hearings to examine key issues
impacting government management and the federal civilian
workforce.
On April 11, 2013, the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce,
U.S. Postal Service, and the Census held a hearing entitled,
``The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Is it a Good
Value for Federal Employees?'' The hearing, which reviewed the
Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) administration of the
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, followed the
Committee's oversight and legislative work during the 112th
Congress on federal employee compensation. Committee members
examined the Administration's proposed legislative changes
designed to improve the program, including policies to allow
additional health plan types, establish a third enrollment
category, and tier premiums to participation in wellness
initiatives. Chairman Issa introduced legislation, H.R. 3319,
to allow non-federal workers access to the FEHB Program.
During the May 9, 2013, hearing entitled, ``Is OPM
Processing Federal Worker Pension Claims on Time?'' the
Subcommittee challenged OPM to identify and implement effective
solutions to improve the retirement claims process and better
manage costs so that federal employees may receive their earned
benefits in a timely manner. The Subcommittee assessed OPM's
efforts to reduce the backlog for processing claims, leverage
information technology to modernize the process, and decrease
improper payments of retirement benefits. The hearing followed
the Subcommittee's November 15, 2011 hearing which examined the
extent to which OPM is meeting its core mission. OPM failed to
meet its July 2013 goal to eliminate the backlog of retirement
claims and process 90 percent of retirement claims received
within 30 days.
On June 5, 2013, the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled,
``OPM's Revolving Fund: A Cycle of Government Waste.'' The
hearing examined OPM's revolving fund programs, including the
quality of services provided and internal controls. Committee
members reviewed the Administration's legislative proposal to
provide OPM Inspector General resources to more adequately
audit and investigative revolving fund activity. The hearing
led to the introduction of H.R. 2860, the OPM IG Act, that will
enhance the OPM Inspector General's oversight of the more than
$2 billion in revolving fund activity.
On June 18, 2013, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Reinventing Government.'' The hearing focused on improving
government efficiency and performance as a means to control
government spending. Committee members discussed establishing a
Government Transformation Committee as a way to consolidate and
reorganize government to more effectively deliver core
government services. Legislation establishing a government
transformation commission, H.R. 2675, was introduced by
Representative Bustos on July 11, 2013, and referred to the
Committee.
During the July 10, 2013 Subcommittee hearing entitled,
``The Combined Federal Campaign: Making Every Dollar Count,''
the Subcommittee sought to better understand the impact of
OPM's proposed regulatory changes to the Combined Federal
Campaign (CFC), with an eye toward reaching consensus on
sensible changes to better support federal workers who choose
to donate. The Subcommittee continues to monitor OPM's efforts
to work with participating charities and donors to strengthen
the integrity, streamline operations, and increase the
effectiveness of the CFC.
The United States Postal Service
The Committee and the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce,
U.S. Postal Service, and the Census conducted significant
oversight of the United States Postal Service and its
deteriorating financial condition. In its work, the Committee
placed a particular focus on the impacts of the Postal
Service's deterioration in the mailing industry, as well as on
the discussion of potential legislative reforms.
On April 10, 2013 the Federal Workforce Subcommittee held a
hearing entitled, ``Ahead of Postal Reform: Hearing from USPS
Business Partners.'' The hearing presented committee members
with testimony from broad segments of the mailing community,
including advertising mailers, a magazine publisher, a
newspaper publisher, and a mail-order pharmacy, all of whom
shared their thoughts on the future of the Postal Service and
the impacts that proposed reforms could have on their business.
On April 17, 2013, the Committee expanded on the work on the
Subcommittee's hearing with a second hearing entitled,
``Options to Bring the Postal Service Back from Insolvency.''
At this hearing, members heard testimony from Mickey Barnett,
the Chairman of the Postal Service's Board of Governors;
Patrick Donahoe, the Postmaster General; Gene Dodaro, the
Comptroller General of the United States; and Frederick
Rolando, the President of the National Association of Letter
Carriers. At this hearing, specific reform proposals were
discussed at length and the Postal Service's financial
condition was characterized in its own words.
By the time of these two hearings, the Postal Service was
already in default to the federal government for $11.1 billion
to prefund its already accrued retiree health care liability
and the Postal Service had lost a record $15.6 billion in
fiscal year 2012. While partial year returns showed slightly
better than expected finances for fiscal year 2013, due in part
to revenue generated by the 2012 presidential election, the
Postal Service was still operating at a loss and was projected
to default on a further $5.6 billion payment for retiree health
care liability on September 30, 2013, a default that did
ultimately occur.
Given the Postal Service's tenuous position, on July 19,
2013, Chairman Issa, along with Federal Workforce Subcommittee
Chairman Blake Farenthold and his predecessor as Subcommittee
Chairman, Dennis Ross, introduced H.R. 2748, the Postal Reform
Act of 2013. H.R. 2748 was modeled after H.R. 2309 from the
112th Congress, which had been ordered reported by the
Oversight Committee on October 13, 2011. However, in addition
to many of the provisions from H.R. 2309, H.R. 2748 also
included a number of provisions from H.R. 2690, the Innovate to
Deliver Act of 2013, introduced by Ranking Member Elijah
Cummings, including a provision to create a Chief Innovation
Officer within the Postal Service. On July 24, 2013, the
Committee held a markup to consider H.R. 2748. A total of 5
amendments were adopted and the legislation was subsequently
ordered to be reported to the House of Representatives by a
vote of 22-17.
National Security and Foreign Operations
In February 2013, the Subcommittee on National Security
continued a series of hearing on issues regarding taxpayer
expenditures in Afghanistan. The Subcommittee heard testimony
from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction, who conducted an audit of the Afghanistan
National Army's logistics capability for petroleum, oil, and
lubricants provided via U.S. resources. In April, the
Subcommittee also held a hearing titled, ``Contracting to Feed
U.S. Troops in Afghanistan: How did the Defense Department end
up in a Multi-Billion Dollar Billing Dispute?'' to examine
concerns with a major Defense Department subsistence contract
in Afghanistan. Officials from the Defense Logistics Agency,
the Defense Department's Inspector General, and an executive
from the contracting company testified before the Subcommittee.
In April 2013, the Subcommittee conducted a joint hearing
with the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and
Regulatory Affairs to examine the federal government's
procurement processes and storage logistics regarding
ammunition. Members heard testimony from the Homeland Security
Department's Chief Procurement Officer, the Inspector General
of the Social Security Administration, as well as the President
of the National Law Enforcement Officers Association. In
August, the Subcommittee held its second hearing examining
federal government weapons management. The Subcommittee focused
on an inspector general report highlighting missing weapons at
the National Park Service.
In May 2013, the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform held a hearing entitled, ``Benghazi: Exposing Failure
and Recognizing Courage.'' The Committee received testimony
from three State Department officials with direct knowledge of
the facts and circumstances of the September 11, 2012,
terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Gregory Hicks, Deputy
Chief of Mission at Embassy Tripoli on the night of the
terrorist attacks, and Mark Thompson, Deputy Coordinator for
Operations in the State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism
offered new testimony that provided additional insight into
events in Libya and at the State Department on the night of the
September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks. Eric Nordstrom, the
former Regional Security Officer at Embassy Tripoli, provided
context about security procedures and resourcing at U.S.
diplomatic facilities in Libya.
In September 2013, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform held a hearing entitled, ``Reviews of the
Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions.'' The Committee
received testimony from two panels of witnesses. On the first
panel, Ambassador Thomas Pickering and Admiral Michael Mullen,
USN (Ret.), Chair and Vice-Chair respectively of the State
Department's Accountability Review Board, convened to review
the facts and circumstances of the September 11, 2012 terrorist
attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya.
Joining them were Mark Sullivan, a former Director of the
Secret Service and Todd Keil, a former Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security, who served on an Independent Panel on Best
Practices, convened by the State Department to review the
diplomatic security function of the Department. On the second
panel, the Committee heard from Patricia Smith and Charles
Woods, parents of two of the victims of the Benghazi attack--
Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods.
Homeland Security
The Subcommittee on National Security held a hearing in
April on the impact of sequestration on the Transportation
Security Administration. The Subcommittee received testimony
from Mr. John Halinski, the Deputy Administrator of TSA. Also
in April, the Subcommittee on National Security, along with the
Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory
Affairs, jointly held a hearing entitled, ``Oversight of the
Federal Government's Procurement of Ammunition'' to examine the
procurement and use of ammunition by Federal Government
agencies. Members heard testimony from: Dr. Nick Nayak, the
Department of Homeland Security Chief Procurement Officer; Mr.
Humberto Medina, the Assistant Director for Immigration and
Customs Enforcement's National Firearms and Tactical Training
Unit, and also the Chair of the DHS Weapons and Ammunition
Commodity Council; and The Honorable Patrick P. O'Carroll, Jr.,
the Social Security Administration Inspector General.
In May 2013, the Subcommittee on Government Operations held
a hearing examining government-issued identification card
programs administered by the Transportation Security
Administration. The hearing focused on agencies' efforts to
incorporate secure biometric technologies into their
identification card programs using TSA's Transportation Worker
Identification Credential (TWIC) program as a case study. The
hearing also featured testimony from the Government
Accountability Office concerning a report regarding the use of
biometric and other advanced technologies for the TWIC program.
In June, the Subcommittee on Government Operations held a
hearing entitled: ``Federal Government Approaches to Issuing
Biometric IDs: Part II.'' The hearing examined the status,
costs, and management of various federal identification cards.
The hearing also focused on agencies' efforts to incorporate
secure biometric technologies into their identification card
programs.
In June 2013, the Subcommittee on National Security held a
hearing on border security entitled, Border Security Oversight:
Identifying and Responding to Current Threats.'' Accordingly,
the hearing examined various risks at the southwest border and
discussed government responses to each threat, ranging from
technological solutions to strategic placement of border patrol
agents. Members received testimony from Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),
Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Government
Accountability Office.
In July 2013, the Subcommittee heard testimony from senior
government witnesses about challenges in the asylum process at
the border. The hearing assessed U.S. border security efforts
and challenges to obtaining operational control of the
southwest border, including the process and procedures relating
to asylum requests.
The Committee has been conducting extensive oversight of
TSA's policies and programs since the agency's inception. The
Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, P.L. 107-71,
requires TSA to provide for the screening of individuals
boarding commercial aircraft. To comply with this requirement,
TSA has primarily relied upon technology to screen passengers
at airport checkpoints. In response to the Christmas Day
Bomber, however, TSA procured and deployed Advanced Imaging
Technology (``AIT'' also known as ``Whole Body Imaging'')
machines.
Since the previous Congress, the Committee has been
investigating alternative options for passenger screening that
may be more effective than Advanced Imaging Technology.
Accordingly, at the request of the Committee, GAO conducted
tests examining other potential screening mechanisms, including
the utility of an increased canine presence at airports.
The Committee has conducted oversight and investigations of
a broad range of other TSA policies and programs. To that end,
it continues to examine aviation security matters including
information sharing, federal workforce issues in managing
airport security, and the training and supervision of airport
screeners, and storage of equipment.
The Committee has continued conducting oversight of U.S.
Border Patrol and Customs operations, intended to secure the
Southwest border. Since the Committee's July 9, 2009, hearing,
drug cartel-related violence in Mexico has continued to
escalate in both frequency and intensity. According to reports,
``2,826 people were killed in 2007; more than twice that
number, 6,837, in 2008; an additional forty per cent [sic],
9,614, in 2009; and almost sixty per cent [sic] more, 15,273,
last year [in 2010].'' Since December 2006, the total number of
deaths in Mexico has risen above 50,000. Most of these crimes
occurred within a short distance of the U.S. border, raising
concerns about the security of U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, the
Committee continues to conduct oversight in order to answer
questions about whether the U.S. Southwest border is adequately
secured.
The Committee has been conducting oversight of
cybersecurity policy. In July 2011, the Oversight and
Government Reform Committee held a hearing, ``Cybersecurity:
Assessing the Nation's Ability to Address the Growing Cyber
Threat'' to further examine cybersecurity threats and
challenges. The Committee has been continuing its effort to
update FISMA.
Financial Management
On July 10, 2013, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports Show Feds Struggling to
Track Money and Performance.'' Comptroller General Dodaro
testified about GAO's work on the Government Performance and
Results Modernization Act (GPRAMA) and the 2012 Financial
Report of the U.S. Government. The Comptroller General reported
that the government failed to pass an audit of its financial
statements. To date, the government has never passed an audit.
As a result, GAO could not verify the accuracy or reliability
of the government's spending. The Comptroller General noted
that unless policy changes are made, the federal government
faces an unsustainable fiscal path. The hearing also revealed
that the government cannot track spending information.
Comptroller General Dodaro testified that legislation to create
unique identifiers and standardize spending information would
help.\6\
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\6\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing, ``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports
Show Feds Struggling to Track Money and Performance,'' July 10, 2013.
Available at: http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/unaccountable-
government-gao-reports-show-feds-struggling-to-track-money-and-
performance/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On August 2, 2013, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing entitled, ``Examining the
Skyrocketing Problem of Identity Theft Related Tax Fraud at the
IRS.'' Witnesses included the Honorable Daniel Werfel, Acting
Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Mr. Michael
McKenney, Deputy Inspector General for Audit at the Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Ms. Nina
Olson, the National Taxpayer Advocate at the Taxpayer Advocate
Service at IRS, and Mr. Douglas MacGinnitie, State Revenue
Commissioner at the Department of Revenue for the State of
Georgia. The National Taxpayer Advocate reported that she has
seen a 78 percent increase in identity theft cases at the IRS
from FY 2011 to FY 2012. Over the last five years, the number
of cases has increased by 413 percent. TIGTA testified that the
IRS could pay out over $5 billion in potentially fraudulent
returns in 2013. Mr. MacGinnitie testified that the State of
Georgia was working with third party data providers to detect
fraud on a state level and stop fraudulent payments before they
are issued. Acting Commissioner Werfel acknowledged that it was
a serious problem, and the IRS's work to combat identity theft
related tax fraud will continue to grow.\7\
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\7\U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, Hearing, ``Examining the Skyrocketing Problem of
Identity Theft Related Tax Fraud at the IRS,'' August 2, 2013.
Available at: http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/examining-the-
skyrocketing-problem-of-identity-theft-related-tax-fraud-at-the-irs/.
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V. Summary of Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken, and
Recommendations Made and Actions Taken Thereon
IRS Targeting
The Committee has been investigating the Internal Revenue
Service's inappropriate treatment of conservative applicants
for tax-exempt status. On May 10, 2013, IRS Exempt
Organizations Director Lois Lerner acknowledged via a planted
question at a tax-law panel that the IRS used ``incorrect,
insensitive, and inappropriate'' screening criteria such as
``tea party'' in selecting applications for tax-exempt status
for further review. Ms. Lerner's remarks were prompted by an
audit that was to be issued the following week by the Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), which was
requested by Chairman Issa and Subcommittee Chairman Jordan in
March 2012.
The Committee has held two hearings as a part of this
investigation. At the Committee's May, 22, 2013, hearing, Ms.
Lerner stated that she was invoking her Fifth Amendment
privilege against self-incrimination to refuse to answer
questions after voluntarily offering an opening statement. On
June 28, 2013, the Committee held a business meeting and voted
to determine that Ms. Lerner's opening statement constituted a
waiver on her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-
incrimination.
The Committee has reviewed over 300,000 pages of documents
and conducted 33 transcribed interviews with former and current
IRS employees. The Committee has issued two subpoenas, one for
IRS documents and one for Treasury Department documents. The
Committee continues to gather facts through documents and
testimony to examine potential wrongdoing at the IRS.
Fast and Furious
In fall 2009, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) implemented a
risky strategy known as ``gunwalking'' to track illegal
firearms along the Mexican border. On December 14, 2010, ATF
agent Brian Terry was killed in Arizona; two weapons found at
the scene were traced to the gunwalking program, Operation Fast
and Furious. The Committee's comprehensive investigation has
exposed serious management and operational failures.
On June 28, 2012, by a margin of 258-95, the House of
Representatives voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in
contempt of Congress. This vote authorized the Oversight and
Government Reform Committee to seek redress in federal court in
order to compel the Attorney General to produce documents
pursuant to a duly authorized subpoena issued by the Committee.
On August 13, 2012, the Committee filed a complaint against the
Attorney General in U.S. District Court for the District of
Columbia.
On October 15, 2012, the Justice Department filed a Motion
to Dismiss. This Motion was argued before the court on April
24, 2013, and on September 30, 2013, Judge Amy Berman Jackson
denied the Motion. On November 15, 2013, the Justice Department
filed a Motion for Interlocutory Appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
Sec. 1292(b). On November 18, 2013, Judge Jackson denied the
Motion. The Committee will file a Motion for Summary Judgment
by December 16, 2013.
The Committee has also engaged in three court-ordered
mediation sessions with the Justice Department in an attempt to
settle the lawsuit. These sessions occurred on March 26,
November 12, and November 20, 2013. To date, mediation has not
yielded a settlement.
Wasteful Conference Spending
During 2013, the Committee continued to build on its prior
work on the now-infamous General Services Administration (GSA)
conference in Las Vegas. Two conferences in particular--one
held by the IRS and one held by the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA)--deserved scrutiny for the excessive and wasteful
spending that occurred at each.
In June 2013, the Committee held a hearing to examine
excessive spending that occurred at an IRS conference in
Anaheim, California. An Inspector General audit revealed that
the IRS employees who planned the conference approved excessive
expenditures and engaged in questionable contracting practices.
According to TIGTA, the IRS held 225 conferences at a total
cost of over $50 million between 2010 and 2012. In particular,
the Anaheim conference cost more than $4 million. It was a
conference for IRS managers with approximately 2,700 attendees.
Like the GSA conference planners, the IRS conference planners
hired expensive speakers, held private receptions, produced
expensive videos for entertainment, and occupied executive
level suites at several hotels in Anaheim.
With regard to the VA conference, the Committee learned in
August 2012 about two conferences held in July 2011 and August
2011 in Orlando, Florida. These two conferences, purportedly
organized to train human resources professionals, cost
taxpayers approximately $6.1 million. Financial mismanagement
and ineffective oversight were widespread throughout the
conference planning process. On October 1, 2012, the VA Office
of Inspector General released a report focusing on the
Department's wasteful expenditures associated with the
conferences. The Committee requested documents from the
Department in August 2012. After several follow-up document
requests, the Committee issued a subpoena on July 9, 2013. On
October 30, 2012, the full Committee held a hearing, which
examined the Department's response to the waste and misconduct
that occurred in relation to the planning and execution of the
conferences. The Committee also released a Majority staff
report detailing how conference expenditures skyrocketed due to
failed oversight and financial irresponsibility. The report can
be found on the Committee's website: http://
oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/VA-Conferences-
Majority-Staff-Report-10-30-2013OGR-Committee.pdf.
The Committee plans to continue to monitor the Department's
progress in implementing the Inspector General's
recommendations for improving policies and procedures within VA
and making the necessary changes to prevent future waste of
taxpayer dollars.
Affordable Care Act Implementation
Building on its work in the 112th Congress, when the
Committee conducted oversight of the implementation of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA), potential negative economic effects,
and its impact on individuals and businesses, the Committee in
2013 has continued to devote significant resources to the laws
effect on the insurance industry. In particular, the Committee
has focused on several specific areas of ACA implementation,
described below:
Healthcare.gov--The Committee is investigating the causes
of problems with the launch of the Healthcare.gov website, a
critical feature of the President's health care law. The
Committee sent several letters to the Department of Health and
Human Services and the Executive Office of the President
requesting documents and information related to the launch.
After the Department failed to immediately provide the
requested information, the Chairman issued a subpoena to
Secretary Sebelius demanding unredacted documents containing
information about HealthCare.gov's technical problems and other
issues related to testing, design, and software.
The Committee also requested information from top
contractors involved with creation of the website. One of the
main contractors, QSSI Inc., also refused to provide the
requested information and was served with a subpoena issued by
the Chairman. The Committee has received and is in the process
of reviewing well in excess of one million documents received
in response to the Committee's letters and subpoenas.
The Committee has held three hearings on the
Administration's failed website launch, and plans to hold three
additional hearings by the end of December; four of the
hearings are taking place outside of Washington (North
Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Texas) to highlight the impact
of the Affordable Care Act on individuals across the country.
The Chairman issued a subpoena to the White House Office of
Management and Budget Chief Technology Officer, Todd Park, to
appear before the Committee. Finally, the Committee is
currently conducting multiple transcribed interviews of federal
employees who were involved with building or testing
HealthCare.gov.
Navigators/Assisters--The Affordable Care Act requires
states to establish ``Navigators'' to conduct outreach about
the law, provide fair and impartial information to consumers,
and facilitate enrollment in new health insurance exchanges and
state Medicaid programs. When several states objected to
financing Navigators with state revenue, the Administration
created a twin program called In-Person Assisters (Assisters)
in states with state-based exchanges. This year alone, the
Administration will provide several hundred million dollars of
unauthorized taxpayer funds to Assister organizations. There is
significant risk for fraud and abuse in these programs; top HHS
officials expressed concerns about the risk of scam artists and
identity thieves, but did nothing to place eligibility
requirements on Navigators and Assisters that would prevent
them.
In September, the Majority staff released a report with
preliminary findings showing that the Navigators and Assisters
pose security risks to consumers. The report can be found on
the Committee's website: http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2013/09/Republican-Staff-Report-on-Navigators.pdf. The
Committee held a hearing on the Navigators and Assisters
programs in May 2013; the topic has also been highlighted in
several other Committee hearings throughout the year.
Additionally, the Committee is currently receiving and
reviewing information in response to document requests to the
Department of Health and Human Services and 17 state based
exchanges.
Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan--The Consumer Operated
and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program used taxpayer money to loan
$2 billion to companies establishing non-profit health
insurance issuers. However, the Office of Management and Budget
estimated the taxpayer losses for the loans at 43.2 percent.
Moreover, several companies have experienced legal or financial
troubles. For instance, the Vermont Health CO-OP, which
received a $34 million taxpayer-backed loan, was in May 2013
denied an insurance license by the state of Vermont. In letters
to the Administration, the Committee expressed concern that the
process used to select loan recipients was flawed and lacked
transparency. The Committee also uncovered several emails and
visits between company officials and White House employees.
The Committee initially requested information on the CO-OP
program in October 2012 and again in March 2013. After these
requests were ignored by the Department of Health and Human
Services, the Chairman issued a subpoena for documents related
to the risky Obamacare health CO-OP loan program in June 2013.
The subpoena requires HHS to produce all documents related to
the reviews which assessed each CO-OP applicant's financial
viability, as well as communication between HHS employees,
contractors and Executive Office employees discussing the
applicants' financial viability or ability to repay the CO-OP
loan. The Committee continues to receive and review documents
from HHS in response to the Chairman's subpoena. In addition,
the Committee is currently conducting transcribed interviews
with key officials from the various CO-Ops.
Benghazi
In the wake of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on
U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya which claimed the
lives of four Americans, the Committee launched an
investigation into the Administration's actions before, during
and after the attack. To date, the Committee has sent more than
45 letters, conducted approximately 20 witness interviews
totaling 80+ hours and 3000+ pages of transcripts, reviewed
more than 25,000 pages of documents, and issued nine subpoenas
for documents and testimony. Several subpoenas for testimony
were withdrawn after witnesses agreed to appear voluntarily.
In addition, the Committee has held three hearings. The
first hearing occurred on October 10, 2012 and included
testimony from State Department and DOD personnel responsible
for security in Libya prior to the attack. The second hearing
took place on May 8, 2013 and the Committee received testimony
from State Department personnel involved in the events before,
during and after the attack. The hearing featured the first
public testimony from an individual who was on the ground in
Libya on the night of the attack. On September 19, 2013, the
Committee held a third hearing to examine the work of the
Accountability Review Board (ARB) and the findings of the
Independent Panel on Best Practices, convened by the State
Department at the ARB's recommendation to review the diplomatic
security function of the Department. In advance of the
September 19, 2013 hearing, the Majority released a 99-page
interim staff report on ARB's process and conclusions,
especially regarding accountability of State Department
personnel. Additionally, the Minority released an 80-page staff
report on the attacks, response, and the subsequent
investigations.
Sequester Oversight
The Committee thoroughly analyzed the federal government's
response to budget changes in 2013. On April 16, 2013, the Full
Committee held a hearing featuring three agencies--the National
Archives, the Smithsonian, and the National Park Service--to
evaluate how each had coped with funding reductions under
sequestration. The Smithsonian and the National Archives both
handled sequestration with little to no pain as a result of
judicious planning.
The Committee revisited this issue in October, when it held
a joint hearing with the Natural Resources Committee to examine
the Park Service's response to the government shutdown. At this
hearing, Chairman Issa issued a subpoena to the Park Service
for documents not produced in response to the Committee's
sequestration investigation and which were the subject of a
March 3, 2013, letter, which was followed by two letters in
October seeking information about sequestration.
Since the subpoena has been issued, the Committee has been
in discussions with the Park Service about the production of
responsive documents. So far, the Park Service has produced the
sequestration plans implemented by each park, but the Committee
still seeks drafts of these reports and the correspondence
relating to chosen cuts. The Committee plans to continue its
investigation into the Park Service's handling of sequestration
and monitor its responses to future budget adjustments.
IRS Contracting Abuse
In February 2013, the Committee learned of allegations
concerning a series of contracts, potentially worth more than
$500 million, awarded by the Internal Revenue Service over a
six-month period to Strong Castle, Inc., an information
technology contractor. Witnesses who contacted the Committee
alleged that Strong Castle engaged in fraud to win the IRS
contracts. Strong Castle obtained contracts with the IRS
largely based on the company's access to contracting set-asides
for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans
(SDVOSB) and connections to economically disadvantaged
neighborhoods (HUBZone).
The Committee's investigation involved reviewing more than
25,000 pages of documents produced by the IRS, Strong Castle,
the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the
Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA). Committee staff conducted
16 transcribed interviews of IRS procurement officials, Strong
Castle employees, and other relevant witnesses. Chairman Issa
sent nine letters about the investigation to SBA, VA, IRS, and
Strong Castle. SBA, VA, and IRS provided multiple briefings.
A Majority staff report released on June 25, 2013, detailed
the findings and recommendations of the investigation in
anticipation of a full Committee hearing held June 26, 2013.
The report is available on the Committee's website: http://
oversight.house.gov/report/staff-report-questionable-
acquisitions-problematic-it-contracting-at-the-irs/. A video
clip of Congresswoman Duckworth questioning Strong Castle's CEO
about his service disability has been viewed over two million
times on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPOKm20wP4s.
As a result of the Committee's investigation, the SBA
decertified Strong Castle as a HUBZone firm, observing that the
company provided inaccurate, unreliable, and misleading
information. In addition, the IRS pledged to suspend orders for
IT products and services from Strong Castle and on December 5,
2013, executed a bilateral contract action to discontinue the
contract arrangement with Strong Castle under a blanket
purchase agreement in support of the IBM Software Relationship
Offering (SRO), worth an estimated total dollar value of $300
million over five years. Moreover, on the legislative front,
Chairman Issa and Congresswoman Duckworth have introduced the
SERV Act (H.R. 3469), which would ensure that only individuals
who have actually served in the military can qualify to receive
government contracting preferences and other related benefits.
The Committee's findings regarding Strong Castle should
serve as a deterrent for other current and prospective
government contractors who may be considering ways to abuse
set-aside programs established to benefit disadvantaged
populations and underutilized communities. While the Committee
was able to stop the abuses of one contractor, the Committee
learned that these problems are widespread and require
government-wide solutions. The Committee continues to monitor
Strong Castle and other similarly-situated contractors to
prevent similar abuses in the future.
New York State Medicaid Abuse
The Committee is investigating waste, fraud, abuse, and
mismanagement in New York State's Medicaid program. A March
Committee Report from the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee described the findings discovered and uncovered by
the Committee. In response to the Committee's oversight and
discovery of a significant problem with overpayments received
by State-operated institutions in New York, the Department of
Health and Human Services sharply reduced some Medicaid
overpayments to the State of New York in April, saving
taxpayers an estimated $1.2 billion over 18 months. New York
State's Medicaid program is the largest in the country.
According to the Committee report, in fiscal year 2010, New
York's $2,700 per resident Medicaid spending exceeded per
capita Medicaid spending in the rest of the country by more
than $1,500. When problems with the State's program have been
identified, the cost associated has often been large as well.
The bipartisan Committee report found that poor program
oversight by both the State and federal Government has
contributed to these problems.
A September 2012 staff report estimated that over the past
two decades the federal government had made roughly $15 billion
in overpayments to the State of New York since 1990 for the
developmental centers alone. By 2011, Medicaid's daily
reimbursement rate exceeded $5,100 for each patient residing in
a developmental center.
This Committee continues to investigate allegations that
New York State's Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG),
the state agency responsible for oversight of state Medicaid
spending, has been pressured by Governor Andrew Cuomo, and that
the agency offered preferential treatment to companies with
ties to prominent politicians including former Pennsylvania
Governor Ed Rendell.
VI. Delineation of Hearings Held Pursuant to Clauses 2 (n), (o), and
(p) of House Rule 11.
Hearings Held Pursuant to Clause 2(n)
Jan. 22, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Wasting Information Technology Dollars: How Can the Federal
Government Reform its IT Investment Strategy?''
Feb. 5, 2013, 1:00 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Government Spending: How Can We Best Address the Billions of
Dollars Wasted Every Year?''.
Feb. 27, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Time to Reform Information Technology Acquisition: The
Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act.''
Feb. 27, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Failures in Managing Federal
Real Property: Billions in Losses.''
March 5, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Reducing Waste and Mismanagement: Implementing Agency
Watchdogs' Recommendations Could Save Taxpayers Billions''
Mar. 19, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``DOD and DHS: Implementing Agency Watchdogs' Recommendations
Could Save Taxpayers Billions.''
Apr. 17, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Options to Bring the Postal Service Back from Insolvency.''
Apr. 17, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on National Security
hearing entitled, ``Contracting to Feed U.S. Troops in
Afghanistan: How did the Defense Department end up in a Multi-
Billion Dollar Billing Dispute?''
Apr. 25, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Government Operations Oversight:
Addressing Unused and Vacant Federal Property.''
Apr. 25, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security and Subcommittee on Economic Growth joint hearing
entitled, ``Oversight of the Federal Government's Procurement
of Ammunition.''
June 5, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal Workforce,
U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled, ``OPM's
Revolving Fund: A Cycle of Government Waste?''
June 12, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Protecting Taxpayer Dollars: Is the Government Using
Suspension and Debarment Effectively?''
June 26, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``The IRS Contracts with Strong Castle, Inc.''
July 10, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports Show Feds Struggling to
Track Money and Performance.''
July 25, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Data Centers and the Cloud, Part
II: The Federal Government's Take on Optimizing New Information
Technologies Opportunities to Save Taxpayers Money.''
Sept. 11, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``Ensuring an Accurate and Affordable 2020 Census.''
Nov. 20, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on National
Security hearing entitled, ``Abuse of Overtime at DHS: Padding
Paychecks and Pensions at Taxpayer Expense.''
Dec. 3, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations field hearing entitled, ``Federal Trade Commission
and General Services Administration Thwart Cost Saving
Consolidation.''
Hearing Held Pursuant to Clause 2(o)
July 10, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Unaccountable Government: GAO Reports Show Feds Struggling to
Track Money and Performance.''
Hearings Held Pursuant to Clause 2(p)
Feb. 14, 2013, 10:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Exploring GAO's High Risk List and Opportunities for
Reform.''
Feb. 27, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Time to Reform Information Technology Acquisition: The
Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act.''
Feb. 27, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Failures in Managing Federal
Real Property: Billions in Losses.''
Apr. 9, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Reducing Waste in Government: Addressing GAO's 2013 Report on
Duplicative Federal Programs.''
Apr. 10, 2013, 1:30 p.m.--Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census hearing entitled,
``Ahead of Postal Reform: Hearing from USPS Business
Partners.''
Apr. 17, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Options to Bring the Postal Service Back from Insolvency.''
Apr. 17, 2013, 2:00 p.m.--Subcommittee on National Security
hearing entitled, ``Contracting to Feed U.S. Troops in
Afghanistan: How did the Defense Department end up in a Multi-
Billion Dollar Billing Dispute?''
Apr. 24, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Full Committee hearing entitled,
``Broken Promises: the Small Business Lending Fund's Backdoor
Bank Bailout.''
May 9, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Federal Government Approaches to
Issuing Biometric IDs.''
May 16, 2013, 10:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Opportunities
Lost: Constraints on Oil and Gas Production on Federal Lands
and Waters.''
June 27, 2013, 9:30 a.m.--Subcommittee on Energy Policy,
Health Care and Entitlements hearing entitled, ``Oversight of
Rising Social Security Disability Claims and the Role of
Administrative Law Judges.''
August 2, 2013, 9:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing entitled, ``Examining the Skyrocketing
Problem of Identity Theft Related Tax Fraud at the IRS.''
Dec. 3, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--Subcommittee on Government
Operations field hearing entitled, ``Federal Trade Commission
and General Services Administration Thwart Cost Saving
Consolidation.''