News

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) announced a Subcommittee hearing titled “A Year Removed: Oversight of Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act Implementation.” “Patients awaiting an organ transplant and their families anxiously hope and pray for a match. At the same time, individuals coping with the loss of a loved one deserve to know that a donated organ is going to save a life. Unfortunately, for years the organ transplant system has been hampered by inefficiencies, mismanagement, and risks to patient safety,” said Chairs Rodgers and Griffith. “Last year, Congress passed a bipartisan bill led by Reps. Bucshon and Kelly to improve the system and give hope to patients in need. This hearing will provide an opportunity to hear from experts and stakeholders about how the law is being implemented and what challenges remain.”  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing titled “A Year Removed: Oversight of Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act Implementation.”   WHAT: A Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing to explore implementation of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act.  DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 2024   TIME: 10:30 AM ET   LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building  WITNESSES: Witnesses will be announced and are by invitation only.  This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Lauren Kennedy with the Committee staff at Lauren.Kennedy@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) today announced a hearing titled “From Gas to Groceries: Americans Pay the Price of the Biden-Harris Energy Agenda.” “Clean, affordable, and reliable energy is foundational to the continued prosperity of the American people. Yet, the Biden-Harris administration’s radical, rush-to-green agenda has undermined our energy security, leading to years of out-of-control inflation and higher prices on everything from food to housing to vehicles and more,” said Chairs Rodgers and Duncan. “Energy and Commerce Republicans are leading to expose the consequences of those harmful policies and to advance policies that unleash American energy.” Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, & Grid Security hearing titled “From Gas to Groceries: Americans Pay the Price of the Biden-Harris Energy Agenda.” WHAT: A subcommittee hearing to examine how radical rush to green energy polices have resulted in high energy costs and crippling inflation.  DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 2024  TIME: 10:00 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Kaitlyn Peterson at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Kate Roberts at Kate.Arey@mail.house.gov .   

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) today announced a hearing titled “From Introduction to Implementation: A BEAD Program Progress Report.” “The BEAD program was created to ensure that all Americans—specifically those in unserved areas—have access to broadband. In order for the program to succeed and to close the digital divide, Congress must closely monitor NTIA’s implementation of the program and have an open line of communication with the states, providers, and other key stakeholders that are carrying out the program,” said Chairs Rodgers and Latta. “This hearing will serve as an opportunity to hear about how the implementation of the program is going, better understand the impact of NTIA’s rules, and what to expect going forward as states begin to award funds. It’s essential that each state be given the ability to develop broadband plans that meet its specific needs, encourages participation by providers, and connects all Americans with reliable broadband services as Congress intended.” Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled “From Introduction to Implementation: A BEAD Program Progress Report.” WHAT: A subcommittee hearing to evaluate the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. DATE: Tuesday, September 10, 2024 TIME: 10:30 AM ET LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Noah Jackson at noah.jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Kate Roberts at kate.arey@mail.house.gov .  

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) announced a Subcommittee legislative hearing titled “Evaluating FDA Human Foods and Tobacco Programs.”  "From the infant formula shortage, to lead poisoning in applesauce, to an onslaught of illegal Chinese vapes, Americans—and particularly children and teenagers—are at risk of consuming dangerous products, especially without safer alternatives and clear rules in place,” said Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie. “This hearing will give our Members a chance to hear from the head of the Human Foods Program as well as the head of the Tobacco Center to learn how the FDA is helping adult smokers quit, keeping illegal products away from kids, and ensuring a safe food supply.”  Subcommittee on Health Hearing titled “Evaluating FDA Human Foods and Tobacco Programs.”   WHAT: A Subcommittee legislative hearing to discuss the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) unified Human Foods Program and Center for Tobacco Products. DATE : Tuesday, September 10, 2024 TIME : 10:00 AM ET LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building WITNESSES : Mr. James “Jim” Jones , Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Dr. Brian King, Ph.D. , Director, Center for Tobacco Products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO BE DISCUSSED: H.R. 1462 , Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday (DAIRY PRIDE) Act (Reps. Joyce, Kuster, and Craig) H.R. 1750 , Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act of 2023 (Reps. Franklin, Bilirakis, Cammack, Castor, and Soto) H.R. 1803 , Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions (CURD) Act (Reps. Steil and Craig) H.R. 2901 , Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2023 (Rep. Pallone) H.R. 4547 , Laws Ensuring Safe Shrimp Act (Reps. Graves and Castor) H.R. 4764 , The Honey Identification Verification and Enforcement (HIVE) Act (Rep. Armstrong) H.R. 6512 , Stephen Hacala Poppy Seed Safety Act (Rep. Womack) H.R. 6770 , Improving Newborns’ Food and Nutrition Testing Safety (INFANTS) Act of 2023 (Reps. Sykes, Pallone, Cardenas) H.R. 7563 , The Food Traceability Enhancement Act of 2024 (Rep. Franklin) H.R. 9425 , Tobacco User Fee Modernization Act of 2024 (Rep. McClellan) H.R. 9443 , Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act of 2024 (Rep. Ross) This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Emma Schultheis with the Committee staff at Emma.Schultheis@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Christopher Krepich at Christopher.Krepich@mail.house.gov .

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are pressing for answers regarding Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awards. The letter to Administrator Regan, signed by Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Chair Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA), requests an unredacted copy of all GGRF award agreements that have been finalized.  It follows up on an Oversight Subcommittee hearing from earlier this year, where Mr. Zealan Hoover, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, assured Committee Members that the award agreements that EPA entered into with recipients to receive GGRF program awards would address the concerns raised.   LETTER TEXT BELOW:   Dear Administrator Regan,  We write to you as part of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s (the Committee) continued oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). As you know, Committee Members have many questions regarding this first-of-its-kind, $27 billion program, including those discussed at a January 30, 2024, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on the GGRF, with Mr. Zealan Hoover, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, testifying on behalf of the EPA. In numerous instances, Mr. Hoover assured Members that the award agreements that EPA would enter into with recipients that the EPA selected to receive GGRF program awards would address the concerns they raised.   For example, in response to a question from Committee Chair Rodgers about what conflicts of interest policies would govern funding recipients responsible for further distributing this money, Mr. Hoover responded that “they will be subject to all of the terms and conditions of their financial assistance agreement.” After Representative Guthrie pressed for more information on whether organizations with foreign ties could receive GGRF funding, Mr. Hoover stated that “one of the terms and conditions in each of the award agreements is going to be a prohibition against entering into any form of contractual relationship with a foreign entity of concern.” Mr. Hoover also replied to Representative Lesko, “[e]ach grantee is applying with a rigorous investment plan, proposed project pipeline, and timeline for a wide array of necessary activities covering their investment work, their governance, their organizational structure. All of that will be enshrined in our terms and conditions of the grant agreement.”   Members also submitted follow-up questions for the record after the hearing. Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Griffith requested more detail about performance audits, and the EPA responded, in part, “[w]e expect that the terms and conditions of GGRF grants, as provided in 2 C.F.R. § 200.208, will authorize the project officer to closely monitor recipient performance and compliance with grant requirements.” Additionally, in response to Chair Griffith’s inquiry on how the EPA could evaluate the past performance of applicants that included new organizations or coalitions, the EPA stated that it required applicants to submit risk management plans, and that awardees would have to comply with specific terms and conditions in their award agreements. In response to a question on Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) compliance, the EPA stated that it was “including terms and conditions in the award agreements to reinforce that all grants are subject to [BABA] by statute,” and that “EPA will hold selected applicants accountable to BABA requirements through the terms and conditions of the award agreements.” Finally, the EPA also responded to a question from Representative Crenshaw, saying that “EPA will include a term and condition in all award agreements to protect against federal funds flowing to entities with certain connections to the People’s Republic of China.”  In short, the EPA repeatedly sought to reassure the Committee that its award agreements with selected recipients would address the issues of concern and potential risks. The Committee seeks additional detail on how these award agreements will address the issues of concern and potential risks.    As such, please provide a complete and unredacted copy of the award agreement, including all of the attachments, appendices, and any amendments, that the EPA executes with each funding recipient under the GGRF. By no later than August 29, 2024, please provide a copy of all award agreements that have been finalized as of the date of this letter, and please provide a copy of all remaining agreements as soon as they are finalized. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) issued the following statement regarding the Biden-Harris administration’s drug price-setting scheme:  “The Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act is already backfiring—leading to higher list prices for the prescription drugs that seniors rely upon to stay healthy. This scheme is also hampering the research and development of the next treatment or cure for Americans battling diseases, such as cancer. Furthermore, the IRA has driven up Medicare Part D premiums, which the administration is desperately trying to hide by giving away taxpayer dollars to big insurance companies. If this administration was serious about lowering the cost of care, it would support bipartisan solutions, like the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, which passed the House with overwhelming support.”  The Truth about the IRA :  Increased Premiums and List Prices for Drugs:  Launch prices for new drugs increased 35 percent after the passage of the IRA.  Part D premiums have skyrocketed, with a 179 percent increase in plan’s national average monthly bid. As a result, the administration is now spending $5 billion to hide the increased premiums from seniors just for 2025 alone, in addition to the billions already spent in the IRA to try to artificially suppress premium increases.  The number of standalone Medicare Part D plans available for seniors to choose from dropped by 11 percent from last year.  Fewer Treatments and Cures for Patients:  As predicted, the IRA is also costing us future cures, with 36 research programs and development of 21 drugs having been discontinued since the passage of the IRA.   Misguided Policy:  Many of these drugs are already steeply discounted through negotiations in the private marketplace, and there is no guarantee seniors will benefit from these prices as plans balance how to structure their formularies.  While the administration is touting savings numbers based on 2023 data, the actual savings this policy may produce in 2026 will likely be much lower as more competitors to these products come to market, and privately negotiated rebates for these products would likely have increased.  In fact, it is entirely possible the actualized savings from this batch of new set prices in 2026 would be less than the $5 billion of new spending in 2025 to hide the Part D premium increases caused by the IRA.  The White House is dishonestly using the products list prices in its savings calculations, which do not reflect what Medicare beneficiaries actually pay.  Increased Bureaucracy:  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has hired 91 new bureaucrats to set drug prices.  The IRA gave HHS three billion in taxpayer dollars to implement the new office in charge of setting prices. 

Committee Leaders request GAO review CMS Part D premium stabilization program Lawmakers are calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration recently announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), noting its dubious legality and the danger it poses to health care affordability for seniors. The effort comes as part of a letter to GAO from House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO).  Through new taxpayer-financed policy adjustments, the demonstration seemingly intends to deflate seniors’ premiums that are otherwise slated to increase dramatically following the counterintuitive, haphazardly-written Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price provisions. However, the agency has not produced any budgetary analysis and appears to lack a clear statutory basis or credible research goals for the proposal. Rodgers, Crapo, and Smith request GAO review the demonstration’s legality under section 402 of the Social Security Amendments of 1967; what budgetary analysis CMS undertook in developing the demonstration; and the estimated budgetary impact of the demonstration. From the letter: “We write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct an expedited review of the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, as announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 29, 2024. In response to the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) problematic design features and rushed legislative process, the proposed demonstration employs arbitrary policy levers to achieve short-term objectives. The initiative lacks any budgetary analysis, clear statutory basis, or credible research goals. The integrity of the Medicare program and the taxpayer dollars that finance its benefits demand more than partisan aspirations to justify extra-statutory, eleventh-hour policy changes." [. . .] “[T]he policies advanced through the recently announced demonstration would simply shift costs from plan sponsors and enrollees to taxpayers, obscuring the law’s impacts without addressing their underlying drivers. Moreover, consideration of these types of programmatic changes should fall within the purview of the legislative branch. Instead, however, this agency action seeks to sidestep Congress, waiving statutory directives under the guise of a ‘demonstration project,’ with no meaningful research aims, budgetary assessments, or empirical rigor.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) press for information regarding antisemitic harassment and intimidation at UCSF and its associated medical centers under UCSF Health. The investigation comes as part of Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) House-wide  effort  to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses.  KEY EXCERPTS:   “As a recipient of federal funding—both through various U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements for health care services provided at UCSF Health medical centers—UCSF has an obligation to comply with federal law and to prevent and appropriately respond to discrimination and harassment.”  [...]  “The reports of antisemitic harassment and intimidation at UCSF and its associated medical centers coupled with the inadequate response by UCSF leadership is concerning to the Committee. Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe environment for all students, faculty, staff, and patients is a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as Chancellor of UCSF and UCSF Health." [...]  “Failing to comply with basic safety protections for members of the UCSF and UCSF Health communities or failure to respond appropriately to and prevent harassment and discrimination, no matter the cause, may be grounds to withhold federal funds from the university and its associated medical centers. Congress has an obligation to ensure compliance with Title VI. If Congress determines an institution of higher education is in violation, we may consider rescinding research and development funds previously appropriated. Similarly, if Congress determines a medical facility is in violation, we may consider rescinding the right to participate in federal health care programs.”  BACKGROUND :  An encampment in front of UCSF’s medical center has caused significant disruption to campus and health care operations, as well as great distress for members of the community, including health care professionals and patients.  Many Jewish health care professionals working at UCSF Health have also expressed concerns regarding their safety—including concerns of their private information being made public.  This fear is well founded, as there have been numerous antisemitic public statements by faculty, staff, and students at UCSF and/or UCSF Health, such as assertions that patients should fear Jewish doctors, false claims that Israel trains U.S. police to brutalize people of color, or statements that Israelis in the U.S., including students at U.S. universities and medical schools, who have served with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) should be tried for war crimes.  Hundreds of complaints of antisemitism and/or a hostile work environment have been made by employees and patients of UCSF and UCSF Health to the UCSF Office of Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD), with confidential sources reporting that most complainants receive a response that these actions and statements fall under free speech protections.  CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA) yesterday sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging the Department of Energy to prioritize the onshoring of our critical mineral supply chains following the Chinese Communist Party’s July 1 declaration that rare earth metals were the “property of the state.” CLICK HERE to read exclusive coverage by E&E News. KEY QUOTE “Critical minerals are essential to America’s economy and to America’s capacity to manufacture goods and high-tech devices. Many critical minerals are essential to the energy sector, as they are needed to manufacture solar panels, batteries, and electrical equipment. As the DOE is aware, the CCP announced limitations on gallium, germanium, natural and synthetic graphite last October. These critical minerals are vital for our defense and energy technologies and are listed as critical and at high risk of supply disruption. On November 21, 2023, the Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter raising security concerns over the CCP limiting exports of gallium, germanium, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite. Your response to that letter failed to address these concerns and lacked basic information to help Members of Congress assess the risks of America’s increasing dependence on CCP controlled minerals.” [...] “The administration should prioritize the onshoring of domestic mining and processing industry for these critical minerals and materials. The answer to a lack of mining and processing is not to extend credits to companies using minerals from a major geopolitical adversary that relies on child labor and exploitation.” Chairs Rodgers, Duncan, and Carter asked Secretary Granholm to answer the following questions by August 13, 2024: Are you concerned by reports that the Chinese government has declared rare earth metals property of the government of China? What actions will the DOE take in response to the Chinese government’s announcement? Please describe any actions DOE has taken to prioritize onshoring domestic mining and processing of synthetic and natural graphite. Please describe any actions DOE has taken to prioritize onshoring domestic mining and processing of gallium and germanium. How will DOE work to expedite projects to ensure a secure and stable supply chain of these critical minerals and materials given these recent announcements? What actions will DOE take to mitigate potential domestic supply shortages of these minerals? Were you consulted about the Treasury Department’s decision to extend the graphite exemption through 2027? Did you advise or recommend that the White House extend the graphite exemption through 2027? Please explain. CLICK HERE to read the letter to Secretary Granholm. CLICK HERE to read the November 21, 2023, letter to Secretary Granholm raising concerns over the CCP’s decision to limit exports of gallium, germanium, natural graphite, and synthetic graphite.