Welcome to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Washington, D.C. —  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) delivered the following opening remarks during today’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing titled “ Looking Back Before Moving Forward: Assessing CDC's Failures in Fulfilling its Mission .” Excerpts and highlights below: THE CDC FAILED TO MEET ITS EXPECTATIONS “Welcome to today’s hearing to look back and take stock of the recent performance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. “I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that we did not have the CDC we thought we had. “Before I continue my remarks, I want to be clear: the COVID-19 pandemic was an immense challenge for public health agencies, healthcare providers, every level of government, and the American People. “There were always going to be mistakes made and we need to avoid the distortions of hindsight. “I also believe that there are many hardworking, talented doctors and public health experts working at the CDC who want to do their part to keep Americans safe. “One of my biggest frustrations, however, with the CDC is that when you look at all of the talent, all of the scientific knowledge, technical resources, and immense funding we have put into the agency, the end product is somehow less than the sum of its parts. “It's reasonable for the American people to expect CDC to use the best available science when preparing guidance and recommendations.” THE CDC APPEARED TO WORK BACKWARDS “All too often during the pandemic, the CDC appeared to work backwards. “The agency seemed to first decide its preferred policy outcome, whether that was universal masking, vaccine mandates, shutting down businesses, or school closures. “Once the policy was decided, the agency sought out data supporting that policy. “Data that could undermine CDC’s preferred outcome was ignored or discounted, particularly if the data came from outside the CDC. “As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC’s recommendations carry great weight. “There is perhaps no better example of this than the process creating CDC’s school reopening guidance. The damage wrought by school closures has been enormous and well documented. “I do not believe my kids' education has recovered yet from these closures, even as we speak. “The single biggest factor determining whether schools were in-person or remote was the political power of public-school teachers' unions. “At a time when parents and school systems were desperate for accurate public health guidance, the CDC allowed the group most opposed to reopening to directly edit its finalized guidance. “CDC Director Dr. Walensky was even forced to state on national television that her school reopening statements, many took as a CDC position, she made were given ‘in a personal capacity.’ “As best I can tell this was the only time she spoke ‘in a personal capacity’ on an issue related to CDC guidance while agency Director.” THE CDC IGNORED VACCINE EFFICACY EVIDENCE “In addition, when the Department of Labor issued its nationwide vaccine mandate for companies with 100 or more employees in November 2021, it cited CDC science and guidance more than 80 times to justify the mandate. “At the time the mandate was issued, there was a growing body of evidence, largely ignored by the CDC, indicating that the vaccines did not stop transmission. “Thankfully, the Supreme Court struck down this mandate after only two months, ruling it as unconstitutional. “The CMS vaccine mandate for healthcare providers, which only ended on May 1st of this year, also relied heavily on the CDC, citing to the agency over 50 times. “Thousands of healthcare workers, who were heralded as heroes during the early months of the pandemic, lost their jobs in part because of CDC’s reluctance to admit that the limitations of the COVID-19 vaccines and failure to acknowledge that natural immunity can confer adequate protection. “The problems at the CDC that led to the failures we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic are not new. The CDC made mistakes during its response to Ebola and Zika and other smaller, localized events. “What differentiates the mistakes made during COVID-19 was the scale of the emergency and the impact of those failures on the American people.” THE NEED FOR A REVIEW AND TRANSPARENCY “It is appropriate that the CDC’s failures during COVID-19 prompted the agency to conduct an internal review. “The first step is admitting you have a problem. This review has now led to a reorganization that appears, on its face, to be extensive. But there’s no way for us to tell without more information from CDC. “As part of the reorganization, CDC has asked Congress for extensive legal authorities that would require state and local governments, pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare providers to report to the CDC health-related information. “This also had huge implications for privacy and data security. “In May, this Committee wrote to Director Walensky, requesting information and documents related to the review and reorganization. “Congress needs this information to understand and independently assess CDC’s reorganization. “Congress is constitutionally entitled to this information. “We did, however, receive a four-page letter last night that mostly reflects what is already posted on their website. “I hope that CDC will provide the complete documentation requested in our letter that they did not provide last night. “In closing, until we get full cooperation, the CDC’s request for new legal authorities cannot move forward. “In today’s hearing, we will hear from witnesses who will help us explore what reforms are appropriate and necessary at the CDC.”

Washington, D.C. —  House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered opening remarks at today’s Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled “ Building Blockchains: Exploring Web3 and Other Applications for Distributed Ledger Technologies .” Excerpts and highlights below: ADVANCING AMERICAN TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP “This committee plays a vital role in advancing American competitiveness and global technological leadership with our values as you stated, Mr. Chairman, freedom, human rights, and human dignity. “Blockchains, web3, and other applications of distributed ledger technologies represent a new technological shift comparable to the breakthrough of the internet. “We need to ensure that America—not China or Europe—is charting our path to lead in the deployment and standard setting of these technologies. “Our mission on Energy and Commerce is to help foster and promote innovation and American technological leadership. “We led on passing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was foundational to the evolution of the internet. “The innovation and entrepreneurship that followed represented some of the greatest accomplishments in American history, and the world. “We must ensure we can lead the next era of American innovation and entrepreneurship with a regulatory environment that keeps pace with the constantly evolving tech sector. “That’s especially true with blockchains.” E&C CONTINUES TO LEAD IN BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES “For this reason, in 2016, the Energy and Commerce Committee held one of the first Congressional hearings on blockchains. “In the years since, the technology has continued to advance as entrepreneurs have found new and exciting applications. “Additionally, at the end of 2020, my legislation, the American COMPETE Act, was signed into law which required the Department of Commerce to study ways the U.S. can advance several emerging technologies. “Part of the legislation in the package, led by Representatives Guthrie and Soto requires a study on blockchains and ways the Federal government could promote American leadership and adoption. “We continue to wait for this forthcoming report from the Biden administration to provide the Committee with pro-innovation recommendations. “Unfortunately, the report is now far beyond its statutory deadline, as well as the requested extension we allowed.” LOSING GROUND TO OUR ADVERSARIES “As with any new technology, we must move quickly. “While the U.S. led in the creation of the internet, we could easily fall behind with web3, the next generation of the internet. “According to public filing data, less than 40 percent of blockchain companies are headquartered in the U.S., and that number continues to decline. “As we saw with Huawei and 5G, when we don’t lead, our adversaries fill the void.” STRENGTHENING PRIVACY PROTECTIONS “It is critical that America leads, especially given the implications of these new technologies. “Big Tech has developed tools that interact to track Americans both online and offline. “Technologies like distributed ledgers can align with the goals of comprehensive data privacy legislation, by enabling people to reclaim control over their personal online data and limiting any one company’s ability to control and collect the information that we share online.” PROTECTING SMALL BUSINESSES “As these technologies are deployed, and the U.S. develops standards to regulate them, we also have a responsibility to ensure entrepreneurs and small businesses can continue to thrive. We’ve often celebrated they’re the engine of our economy. “While larger companies can navigate complicated regulations, like GDPR in Europe or a patchwork of state laws, smaller businesses cannot afford the high compliance costs. “Embracing innovation, entrepreneurship, and free markets is what’s made America a global technological leader, not overly prescriptive regulations. “While securities and commodities are just one of the many use cases of blockchain technologies, there is a reason the Gramm Leach Bliley Act doesn’t regulate, nor should it, the use of Americans’ personal information outside of the financial sector. “Congress needs to have a conversation about what blockchains are, and are not, to ensure the heavy hand of government regulation doesn’t force blockchain startups to re-evaluate if America is the best location to begin their business. “When this committee worked on the Telecom Act, we never could have predicted the power of the Internet. “Now, as then, we do not know how powerful blockchain technologies will be, but we do know America should lead the way. “I look forward to an informative discussion today.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today announced a subcommittee legislative hearing titled “Examining Proposals that Provide Access to Care for Patients and Support Research for Rare Diseases.”  "The committee is working to reauthorize key programs that provide access to care for mothers, children, cancer patients and first responders, as well as support research for rare diseases. This legislative hearing will give our members a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and discuss legislation to continue them,” said Chairs Rodgers and Guthrie.   The Chairs also added, “It is critical to protect young children from being subjected to experimental procedures that can cause irreversible damage, require medical care for life, and lead to permanent infertility. Funding for teaching programs at children’s hospitals should not go to institutions that conduct such procedures, which other countries are abandoning after reviewing the latest outcome data. We hope this Committee can come together and agree to stand up and protect the innocence of children.” Subcommittee on Health hearing titled “ Examining Proposals that Provide Access to Care for Patients and Support Research for Rare Diseases ”   WHAT: A subcommittee legislative hearing to discuss programs that provide access to care for mothers, children, cancer patients, and firefighters as well as research into rare diseases.  DATE : Wednesday, June 14, 2023   TIME : 10:30 AM EDT   LOCATION : 2322 Rayburn House Office Building   WITNESSES : Witnesses will be announced and are by invitation only.  LEGISLATION AND PROPOSALS UNDER CONSIDERATION:   H.R. 3226 , the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023 (Reps. Anna Eshoo, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Robin Kelly, Jen Kiggans, Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Michael Burgess)    H.R. 3838 , the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 (Reps. Michael Burgess, Diana DeGette, Buddy Carter, Robin Kelly, Kat Cammack, and Kathy Castor)   H.R. 3843 , the Action for Dental Health Act of 2023 (Reps. Robin Kelly and Mike Simpson)   H.R.__ , the Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2023 (Reps. Michael Burgess, Danny Davis, and Buddy Carter)    H.R. 3821 , the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023 (Reps. Bill Pascrell, Brian Fitzpatrick, Steny Hoyer, and Mike Bost)   H.R. 2365 , the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act (Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Paul Tonko)    H.R. 3391 , the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 (Reps. Jennifer Wexton, Tom Cole, Debbie Dingell, and Gus Bilirakis)    H.R. 3887 , the Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2023  (Rep. Dan Crenshaw) H.R. 3836 , the Medicaid Primary Care Improvement Act (Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Kim Schrier, Lloyd Smucker, and Earl Blumenauer)  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 Jolie Brochin with the Committee staff at Jolie.Brochin@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), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), on behalf of the Health and Oversight Subcommittee Republicans, today sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General (IG) Christi Grimm. The letter highlights concerns surrounding improper Medicaid payments and challenges States face in maintaining accurate enrollment during and after the eligibility redetermination process.  “It is critical that CMS and States take action to reduce the number of improper Medicaid payments to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent to care for the most vulnerable who Medicaid was designed to help,” Chairs Rodgers, Guthrie, and Griffith wrote.   Background :  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which included provisions for enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) of 6.2% for States and required continuous Medicaid coverage through the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).  The PHE led to a surge in Medicaid enrollment, increasing from 70 million to nearly 95 million individuals.  As part of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, States are authorized to start the process of redetermining Medicaid eligibility from April 1, 2023.  Research demonstrates that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining accurate Medicaid enrollment posed a significant challenge for CMS.  Past audits from the HHS IG have found inaccuracies in Medicaid enrollment resulted in improper payments.  The Chairs requested a briefing from the Office of the Inspector General as well as an audit that reviews and analyzes the following information regarding ineligible beneficiaries:  The reason for beneficiaries’ ineligibility  The types of factors and information considered at the time of enrollment  The causes of incorrect eligibility determinations  The approximate time individuals were ineligibly enrolled  The approximate dollar amount spent on recipients who were ineligible  The approximate dollar amount delivered to insurance companies on behalf of ineligible enrollees  CLICK HERE to read the letter to HHS IG Grimm. 

Did NIH Know that Decorated Scientist Planned to Conduct Gain-of-Function Research?  Washington, D.C. — 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), on behalf of the Health and Oversight subcommittee Republicans, sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services requesting that the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) top expert on pox viruses sit for a videotaped, transcribed interview regarding the mysterious discontinuation of his proposed experiment to supercharge the mpox virus.  BACKGROUND:   In a September 2022 Science article , Dr. Bernard Moss of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) discussed a specific mpox project:  From the article: “Moss has been trying for years to figure out the crucial difference between two variants of monkeypox virus: clade 2, which until recently was found only in West Africa and is now causing the global outbreak, and clade 1, believed to be much deadlier, which has caused outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo for many decades. He’s found that clade 1 virus can kill a mouse at levels 1000 times lower than those needed with clade 2. To find out why, Moss and his colleagues swapped dozens of clade 2 genes, one at a time, into clade 1 virus, hoping to see it become less deadly, but with no luck so far. Now, they are planning to try the opposite, endowing clade 2 virus with genes from its deadlier relative.”  The effect of the project would be to supercharge the less lethal but much more transmissible variant of the mpox virus that caused the recent U.S. epidemic by combining it with a highly lethal variant found only in the Congo Basin.  Energy and Commerce Republicans requested in a March 30, 2023, letter documents related to the experiment described in the Science article.  On April 26, 2023, NIH responded by noting the proposal did not go forward but did not explain how that occurred or how NIH could even be sure that the experiment was not already conducted.  KEY EXCERPT:   “You informed us that the study discussed by Dr. Moss 'has not been formally proposed, and NIAID has no plans to move forward with this research.' This is a stunning admission. Dr. Moss has been with the NIH since 1966, is one of the leading authorities on pox viruses, and one of the NIH’s most accomplished researchers. He has received numerous awards and prizes. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Microbiology, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and president of the American Society for Virology. Dr. Moss is currently an editor of Virology and a member of several editorial boards. Dr. Moss’s comments to Science indicate to us that he gave the study in question much thought and effort, and that he believed in going forward with the mpox study. The admission that he did not formally propose this research, and the NIAID has no plans to pursue it seems extraordinary. It seems unlikely that Dr. Moss changed his mind. On the other hand, it is hard to believe the NIAID has apparently overruled one of its most highly respected scientists. These circumstances demand a detailed explanation about what happened with this research project publicized by Dr. Moss.”  CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

Proposed Standards Will Make it Harder for Americans to Afford New Cars Washington, D.C. — 151 House Republicans, led by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging him to rescind the agency’s proposed emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The EPA’s ill-conceived effort is just their latest attempt to carry out President Biden’s radical rush-to-green agenda, which will take away Americans’ choice when it comes to the kind of vehicle they drive—and arm-twist people into buying vehicles they can’t afford.   CLICK HERE to read exclusive coverage from Fox News.  Excerpts and highlights from the letter:   "We write to express deep concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The proposals are the latest effort by the Biden administration to commandeer America’s transportation sector and force its complete vehicle electrification under the guise of mitigating climate change.    "The light- and medium-duty vehicle proposed standards are unworkable and impractical. EPA estimates that the proposed standards would lead to electric vehicles (EVs) accounting for 67 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46 percent of new medium-duty vehicle sales in the United States by model year 2032. The projected statistics are a far cry from the current EV market share of 4.5 percent, making these standards a deliberate market manipulation to prop up EVs. Furthermore, a rapid shift towards EVs would benefit only the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as China has a stranglehold on the critical minerals supply chain and manufacturing of EV batteries. For example, China currently controls 50 to 70 percent of global lithium and cobalt refining that are necessary for EV batteries.  "Additionally, EVs are not necessarily better for the environment in terms of emissions reductions.  Specifically, over its lifetime, an EV only has lower emissions than an internal combustion engine vehicle if it travels between 28,069 and 68,160 miles and remains in service for more than 10 years – circumstances which are not being realized today.   "Worst of all, the proposed standards would make life harder and even more unaffordable for Americans and their families. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price of an EV is $65,291, which is $17,197 more than the average price of an internal combustion engine vehicle. Insurance for electric cars costs $206 per month on average, which is $44 more per month than insuring a gas-powered car. Pricing is especially important, because access to a car is tied to improved economic outcomes for low-income households. Americans should not be forced into paying an excessive amount for a car they do not want and cannot afford. Also, the lack of driving range continues to be a problem with EVs. Forcing rural America into a largely EV future is condemning these communities into isolation.    "Given that the recent EPA announcement was only a proposal, we strongly urge you to rescind this ill-considered effort . Americans want the ability to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs, that is reliable, and that they can afford -- not be forced into buying an EV." CLICK HERE to read the full letter.   NOTE: The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee held a hearing on April 19 to expose the environmental, human rights, and national security risks of the Biden Administration's rush-to-green policies. CLICK HERE to watch the hearing and read opening statements and witness testimony.