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Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Full Committee markup of 19 bills. Excerpts and highlights below: UPDATING SATELLITE LAWS AND BOLSTERING CYBERSECURITY “From the Communications and Technology Subcommittee we are considering 13 bills that will update our laws governing the satellite industry and promote the cybersecurity of our communications networks. “We must make sure our laws keep pace with advancements in technology and allow innovation and entrepreneurship to flourish. “The Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act, and our other satellite legislation, will give regulators the tools they need to ensure our rules don’t hold back American ingenuity. “We must also make sure the United States and our allies enhance their participation in international standards setting bodies to lead on the development of new international standards, rather than have them dictated by the Chinese Communist Party. “As technologies advance, so too do the attempts by bad actors seeking to hack our networks. “Improving cybersecurity literacy will help protect our data and make our networks more secure. “Overall, I’m grateful for and applaud all the bipartisan work on these Communications and Technology solutions as Energy and Commerce leads the way to improve our nation’s connectivity, network security, and maintain U.S. leadership in wireless technology.” ADDRESSING THE FENTANYL CRISIS “From the Health Subcommittee, we are taking action to address the illicit fentanyl crisis, protect the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline, and stop discrimination against people with disabilities. “More people than ever are dying of illicit fentanyl poisonings. “As many parents have appealed to us, this requires urgent action. “Moms like Molly Cain deserve justice. “We must secure the border and make sure law enforcement has the tools they need to seize fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. “That is why we are advancing Representative Griffith and Latta’s HALT Fentanyl Act and Representative Lesko and Miller-Meeks's bill, the Securing the Border for Public Health Act. “The DEA testified just last month that permanently scheduling fentanyl related substances in Schedule I is their number-one legislative priority and in our field hearing in McAllen, we all heard and saw why. “The Securing the Border for Public Health Act would expand current Title 42 authority to be used to stop the import of certain controlled substances, including fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. “I want to be very clear: President Biden cannot let the emergency scheduling expire and it should not lift Title 42. “I also want to recognize Representative Harshbarger for leading on the Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act. “The opioid epidemic was fueled, in part, by suspiciously large shipments of controlled substances being delivered across the country—particularly in the Appalachian region. “This bill would help stop this practice and save lives by requiring drug manufacturers and distributors that discover a suspicious package to stop the order and report the information to the DEA.” PROTECTING THE 9-8-8 LIFELINE “Additionally, the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline suffered a cyberattack and was shut down for several hours late last year. “This lifeline is a critical tool that provides support and hope to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. “Thank you, Representative Obernolte, for your work on the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act. “It requires coordination and reporting to improve cybersecurity protections for the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.” BANNING DESCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES “We are also taking action today to ban the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years—or QALYs—and other similar measures by state and federal government health care programs. “More than 70 disability and patient organizations agree that QALYs are discriminatory and have no place in our decision making. “The federal government can evaluate the effectiveness of treatments and cures without devaluing the lives of seniors and people with disabilities. “We’ve worked tirelessly with the minority and with CMS to get this bill right. “We’ve resolved every outstanding comment from the agency and worked to address the concerns by the minority. “I hope we will come together with a strong vote to affirm the dignity of every person to receive lifesaving and quality care.” HOMEOWNER ENERGY FREEDOM ACT “Finally, we’ll consider H.R. 1603, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act which will repeal harmful policies from the IRA intended to incentivize states to impose natural gas bans through building codes. “It will stop the administration’s forced electrification agenda that will mean fewer choices and higher energy costs for all Americans. “As you can see, we have a robust agenda this afternoon. Thank you to all my colleagues for their work. “It proves that E&C is plowing the hardground to deliver results.”

Washington, D.C. —  Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s  Health Subcommittee markup  of five bills. Excerpts and highlights below: REPUBLICANS DELIVERING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE “Today, the Health Subcommittee will hold its first subcommittee markup of the 118th Congress. “The American people delivered a strong message to Congress in November of last year and elected Republicans to lead the House. “Americans wanted safer streets, secure borders, and a government that is accountable to them. “We have already delivered on a few of these promises by voting to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and voting to end the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate on our health care heroes to name a couple. “Today, we’re one step closer to delivering on more promises that will protect our children, secure our borders, and uphold the dignity of human life.” FIGHTING THE FENTANYL CRISIS “The legislation before us today will help ensure Americans live longer, healthier lives and will bring us one step closer to ensuring parents can sleep easier at night knowing that we are cracking down on illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that are threatening the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. “Over the past two years, we have seen historic rises in illicit fentanyl seizures at our southern border and sadly, record high fentanyl poisonings and drug overdoses. “Too many Americans have lost their lives due to drug overdose, largely driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl. “In my home state of Kentucky, illicit fentanyl contributed to over 70% of all overdose deaths in the Commonwealth in 2021, which saw a 14% increase in drug overdoses between 2020 and 2021. “That’s why it is important to me to support the HALT Fentanyl Act that is before us today. “This bill was introduced by my colleagues Representatives Griffith and Latta and would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. “It is long past due for this legislation to become law and finally remove the incentive for criminals to create new fentanyl-related substances. “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road. We should have a permanent solution to address the flow of fentanyl-related substances coming into our communities. “Further lack of permanent action only emboldens those trafficking these toxins into our communities and allows criminals to continue tearing our communities apart.” SECURING AMERICA’S BORDER TO STOP ILLICIT DRUGS “The HALT Fentanyl Act isn’t the only solution to address the unprecedented supply of these drugs flooding our streets. “Ms. Lesko’s legislation, the Securing the Border for Public Health Act, would expand current Title 42 authority to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services, after consultation with the Attorney General, to stop persons and property from entry into the United States to prevent the flow of certain controlled substances and protect our nation’s public health. “This bill will help prevent dangerous, illicit drugs from being trafficked into our communities. “To be clear, votes for these bills are not votes to reform our nation’s immigration laws. “These are votes to strengthen our public health security and continue our work to combat the overdose crisis and save lives. “We must also take steps to ensure we’re working to stem the tide of this crisis through legal channels and ensure there isn’t an oversupply of prescription opioids on our streets. “That is why I strongly support Representatives Harshbarger’s legislation, H.R. 501, Block, Report, and Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act, which would require drug manufacturers and distributors to report all suspicious orders of controlled substances to the Drug Enforcement Administration and require these entities to decline to fill such orders. “Fighting the overdose epidemic necessitates a multipronged approach and a strong partnership between the public and private sectors, which this legislation accomplishes.” PROTECTING AMERICA’S MOST VULNERABLE “The next piece of legislation before us today, H.R. 498, the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act, will address cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline system to help ensure individuals in emotional distress or suicidal crisis continue to have access to this life-saving resource without disruption. “I thank Representative Obernolte for leading this important bill and urge its immediate passage. “Last, is Chair Rodgers’ H.R. 485, the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2023, which would permanently ban the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years in all federal health programs. “These discriminatory measures pick winners and losers by valuing some lives more than others and reduce access to potentially life-saving treatments for vulnerable populations, like those living with disabilities. “I urge the swift passage of this important legislation.”

Subcommittee to Focus on Lowering Unaffordable Health Care Costs Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today announced a hearing that will focus on examining ideas to drive down the cost of health care through transparency and competition.  “Americans are dealing with exorbitant price increases across the board, which may force financially strained patients to forgo medical treatment. There are bipartisan areas of agreement in health care policy to address the cost of care, and the Energy and Commerce Committee will seek to plow the hard ground necessary to build legislative solutions. This hearing will give our members an opportunity to discuss the role that transparency and competition can play in helping to make health care more accessible and affordable.”  Subcommittee on Health hearing titled “Lowering Unaffordable Costs: Examining Transparency and Competition in Health Care.”   WHAT : A hearing to discuss how transparency and competition can lower health care costs for Americans.    DATE : Tuesday, March 28, 2023   TIME : 1:00 PM ET  LOCATION : 2123 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 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) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s  Health Subcommittee markup  of five bills. Excerpts and highlights below: FIGHTING THE FENTANYL CRISIS “More people than ever are dying of fentanyl poisonings. “As many parents have appealed to us, this requires urgent action. “Moms like Molly Cain deserve justice. “We must secure the border and do everything in our power to make sure law enforcement has the tools they need to seize fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. “That is why we are advancing Representative Griffith and Latta’s HALT Fentanyl Act and Representative Lesko and Miller-Meeks's bill, the Securing the Border for Public Health Act. “The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently place fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and make sure law enforcement can keep these weapons-grade poisons off our streets. “DEA testified just last month that permanently scheduling fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I is their number-one legislative priority and in our field hearing in McAllen, we all heard and saw why. “The Securing the Border for Public Health Act would expand current Title 42 authority to be used to stop the import of certain controlled substances, including fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances. “I want to be very clear. The Biden administration cannot let the emergency scheduling expire and it should not lift Title 42. “If the Biden administration continues its open border agenda, Mexican cartels like the one that just kidnapped four Americans and killed two of them, will be even more emboldened. “I urge us all to come together to save lives, halt fentanyl, stop the criminals pushing these poisons, and secure our border.” THE BLOCK, REPORT, AND SUSPENSE SUSPICIOUS SHIPMENTS ACT “I also want to recognize Rep. Harshbarger for leading on the Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act. “The opioid epidemic was fueled, in part, by suspiciously large shipments of controlled substances being delivered across the country–particularly in the Appalachian region. “This bill would help stop this practice and save lives by requiring drug manufacturers and distributors that discover a suspicious order for controlled substances to halt the order and report the information to DEA.” PROTECTING OUR CRUCIAL 9-8-8 SYSTEM “Additionally, the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline suffered a cyberattack and was shut down for several hours late last year. “This lifeline is a critical tool that provides support and hope to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. “We don’t yet know the magnitude of the individuals impacted by the outage, but we must make sure that it doesn’t happen again. “Thank you, Rep. Obernolte, for your work on the 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act. It requires coordination and reporting to improve cybersecurity protections for the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.” BANNING DISCRIMINATORY QALY PRACTICES “Lastly, regarding my legislation to ban the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years–or QALYs–and other similar measures by state and federal government health care programs. “More than 70 disability and patient organizations agree that QALYs are discriminatory and have no place in our decision making. “Imagine having to beg the government for a drug for your son with a progressive disease. “Imagine being told by the government his life isn’t worth the cost of his medication. “Or being told your child with Down syndrome, has a life less worthy of saving and therefore the government won’t cover the cost of an organ transplant. “The federal government can evaluate the effectiveness of treatments and cures without devaluing the lives of seniors and people with disabilities. “I’ll have an amendment to reflect feedback from HHS and other stakeholders to ensure that my bill will achieve its goals, and I hope that it will be recommended with broad support to the full committee. “At the center of all these bills today, the Energy and Commerce Committee is leading to affirm that every life is worth living. “For those in despair, we are offering hope. “For a brighter and more secure future for all, it is critical we continue to make progress on these bills in today’s subcommittee. “I look forward to our discussion and the work to come for the People’s House to take action these solutions.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today wrote Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra regarding President Biden’s plan to kick 2.7 million Americans off their health insurance plans. The members issued the following statement:  “President Biden is fearmongering about health insurance while he’s actively trying to kick 2.7 million Americans off their Obamacare plans—something that harkens back to the 2013 ‘Lie of the Year’: ‘if you like your plan, you can keep it.’  “Despite once declaring that, ‘excessive market concentration threatens basic economic liberties,’ President Biden wants to drastically limit Americans’ choices in the health insurance market. In fact, under his latest rule, more than half of all Obamacare plans on the federal exchange would disappear.  “Health care markets too often suffer from anticompetitive behavior that makes care unaffordable. The federal government has no business making it worse, and the President should abandon his proposal.  “Americans are rightfully concerned about their health care costs as persistent inflation continues to strain family budgets. Rather than invoke politics of fear for more command and control, President Biden should work constructively with Congress to make health care more affordable for the American people.   “Regardless of what the President states today, Republicans are committed to strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, so these programs are sustainable for generations to come.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter. 

Washington, D.C. – Medicare coverage for novel drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease will continue to be restricted by the Biden administration’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency announced this week, despite numerous bipartisan requests to reconsider. Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy Rodgers (R-WA) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) issued the following statement condemning the announcement:  “President Biden and Washington Democrats have waged a sustained assault on Medicare, and this week’s decision by CMS is the latest example. Their reckless spending agenda threatens hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to the program, and now the Biden administration is doubling down by restricting Medicare coverage of FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments. This is an unprecedented overreach by the administration to override its own FDA. It is setting a troubling precedent for a massive health care bureaucracy to restrict coverage to an entire class of drugs, regardless of the potential for life-saving benefits to patients.  “The Biden Administration’s move to restrict coverage for novel Alzheimer’s drugs will chill innovation in developing new medicines and treatments for patients facing life-threatening illnesses. President Biden owes an explanation to the millions of patients, caregivers, and families praying for breakthrough cures who will now be denied access, and whose Medicare coverage will become less guaranteed.”   NOTE: Last year, House Republican Leaders wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in February urging the Administration not to deny Alzheimer’s patients the treatments they deserve.  They wrote, “On January 11, 2022, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed National Coverage Determination (NCD) decision memorandum that would set a new precedent for restricting coverage of all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs using monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid for Medicare beneficiaries suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We have significant concerns about what this decision, if finalized, could mean for the more than 6 million American families suffering from AD, including those with other neurological or medical conditions such as Down Syndrome, who may be effectively prohibited from receiving the drug under the proposed process.”  CLICK HERE to read their letter to Secretary Becerra. 

Washington, D.C. —  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) delivered the following opening remarks during today’s joint Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee field hearing titled “President Biden's Border Crisis Is a Public Health Crisis.”  Excerpts and highlights below: THE BRUTAL CONDITIONS AT THE BORDER “It is important we convene here in Texas to shed light on the brutal and unsustainable conditions this President’s administration has caused at our border. “No other country in the world operates its borders in the manner this administration has chosen. “According to a recent January 2023 Pew Research report, ‘Monthly encounters between U.S. Border Patrol agents and migrants attempting to cross into the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border remain at levels not seen in more than two decades.’ “There were more than 206,000 reported encounters in November 2022, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “For context, the highest number of reported encounters in the previous administration was 132,856.” FENTANYL FLOODING INTO AMERICA “The flood of migrants takes our Customs and Border Protection agents away from stopping the cartels and narcotics from being trafficked into our country. Substances such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogues are killing Americans on a daily basis. “In 2022 alone, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency seized over 379 million doses of fentanyl, which is enough to kill every American. “We must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, that I have championed along with Representative [Bob] Latta. This bill would permanently schedule fentanyl analogues as Schedule I.” PROTECTING VULNERABLE UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN “As one McAllen, Texas border patrol representative told reporters at Fox News: ‘We joined to stop all those statistics, the fentanyl, the rapists, the murderers, the molesters, and those people are still out there... If I'm over here with 100 women and kids... that's going to take hours of my time, and my partner's time.’ “While that is understandable, after all, we want to help these vulnerable people. “We must also address other issues at our southern border. Among those is the release of unaccompanied children. “The HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, is responsible for overseeing and safeguarding the thousands of unaccompanied children coming across our border. “The administration’s apathy to securing the borders has caused the number of children the ORR is charged with looking after to skyrocket from 1,929 children in October 2020 to 20,339 children in April 2021. “I have had serious concerns about what ORR considers to be background checks. “In 2021, I visited the Emergency Intake operation at Fort Bliss, Texas, and was both shocked and disappointed at what I learned there. “There was no collaboration with law enforcement for background checks when vetting sponsors and the ‘public records check’ they were using were widely available internet search engines. “A September 2022 Inspector General study related to the operation at Fort Bliss solidified my concerns. “The study concluded case managers lacked sufficient child welfare training and were ineffective at reuniting children with parents/sponsors; one interviewee informed the Inspector General there was a ‘pervasive sense of despair’ among children at the facility who reportedly experienced distress, anxiety, and in some cases, panic attacks. “The Inspector General reported on instances of children physically harming themselves due to case manager negligence. “Additionally, the Inspector General’s report found that at Fort Bliss, ORR ‘eliminat[ed] critical safeguards from the sponsor screening process’ thereby ‘potentially increasing children’s risk of release to unsafe sponsors.’ “Further, the Inspector General found ORR supervisors had grown concerned that policy changes prioritized fast tracking release of unaccompanied children to sponsors quickly, rather than taking the steps to ‘vet sponsors and protect children from risks such as trafficking and exploitation.’ “Supervisors also reported that inexperienced ORR case managers ‘failed to consider children’s significant history of abuse and neglect or whether sex offenders resided in the potential sponsor’s household.’” BIDEN’S POLICIES LEAD TO MORE HUMAN TRAFFICKING “The administration’s border neglect is not limited to poisoning Americans and undercutting our border patrol agents, but the White House’s immigration policies are essentially printing billions of dollars for Mexican cartels, who have dramatically increased profits in their human trafficking business. “Homeland Security investigations estimates the human trafficking industry generates about $13 billion dollars today, up from $500 million in 2018. “According to border patrol sources ‘criminal organizations trafficking women, children, families, and single adults over the US-Mexico border earned as much as $14 million a day in February 2021.’ “The disastrous impacts to this country’s health as a result of this administration’s policies must stop. “This Committee will shed light on this national emergency, even if the White House continues to ignore it. “I appreciate the opportunity to hold this hearing tonight and looking forward to working towards solutions to solves these issues.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy Rodgers (R-WA) delivered opening remarks at today’s joint Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee field hearing: “President Biden's Border Crisis Is A Public Health Crisis.” Excerpts and highlights below: JUST ONE PILL CAN KILL “President Biden’s open-borders agenda is putting Americans across this country at risk every day, turning every town into a border town. “More people than ever are dying from fentanyl poisonings, most heart wrenching is that fentanyl is an attack on the young generation. “It’s the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. “Just last month in my district, law enforcement from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Spokane Police Department seized 35 pounds of meth and about 50 thousand fake pills believed to be laced with fentanyl. “It takes just one pill to kill. “That was Molly Cain’s message to us when she testified before our committee a few weeks ago. “She is pleading for action and for justice for her son Carson. “He should be alive today but one pill he purchased off Snapchat killed him instantly. “No parent should have to feel Molly’s pain.” FENTANYL SURGING ACROSS THE BORDER “Most illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues being smuggled across the border are being produced by cartels in Mexico—with precursor ingredients sourced from China. “Criminals and drug dealers are selling these deadly substances in communities and are killing a record number of Americans—71,000 in 2021. “Nearly two-thirds of drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021 involved synthetic opioids. “So far in 2023, DEA has seized 4.5 million fake pills laced with fentanyl and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized more than 1400 pounds of fentanyl. “And this is just the amount that has been seized – how much is being missed? “The U.S. - Mexico border is close to two thousand miles long. How many pounds of fentanyl are coming across the areas that are scarcely monitored between ports of entry?” SOLUTIONS TO SAVE LIVES “That is why we need to secure the southern border and stem the flow of these weapons-grade poisons. “The Biden administration is set to do the opposite and create more chaos if the President ends the Title 42 protections. “That cannot happen. “Republicans are offering alternatives to keep people safe and save lives. “For example, Rep. Lesko has legislation to update Title 42 so it can be used in the case of situations we see with the fentanyl crisis. “We also must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, led by Representatives Griffith and Latta, to permanently place fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. “This will ensure that our law enforcement officials have the tools they need to keep these poisons off our streets. “As DEA has told us, this permanent scheduling is a top priority.” PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS “In addition to discussing the fentanyl crisis, we will examine today how the influx of migrants is straining hospital capacity and making it harder to treat patients. “Yuma Regional Medical Center in Arizona has had to delay care for patients because of the surge in migrants. “They’ve had to hire additional staff to keep up with the demand. “El Paso, Texas, declared a state of emergency. The mayor said hundreds and hundreds of people are living in unsafe conditions because of the migrant surge. “These challenges created by President Biden’s open border agenda have only been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and work force shortages from his authoritarian vaccine mandates. “The status quo is unworkable, and it is harming patient care. “I look forward to from the witnesses here on the ground who are on the frontlines of President Biden’s border crisis. “We want to know what more we can be doing for a more secure future and to help keep your communities safe.”

Washington, D.C. —  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s joint Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee hearing titled “The Federal Response to COVID-19.” Excerpts and highlights below: COVID-19'S IMPACTS ON AMERICANS “To date, more than 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19. On top of the loss of life, the pandemic brought our country to a standstill. “It cost our economy around $15 trillion dollars. That equates to more than 200,000 small businesses permanently closed due to the pandemic. “Schools were closed for far too long, setting children behind in learning and damaging their social, emotional, and, in many cases, physical well-being. “The nation is still recovering from the pandemic’s impact and the damage it caused. “Given these loses, it is appalling that the last time we had the heads of the public health agencies before us was March of 2021—almost two years ago. “We held a hearing last week with the Governmental Accountability Office and other experts in the field of pandemic and biological outbreaks where we discussed how being able to quickly identify the root cause of a disease outbreak or biological incident is crucial for a list of reasons ranging from countermeasure development to identifying what activities may have been responsible for the pathogen outbreak. “While the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely behind us, there are a host of areas that we need to examine, including the actions taken—and not taken—by the federal government, as well as how we address future pandemic preparedness. “By all accounts, the risk of catastrophic biological incidents and infectious disease pandemics is increasing, so it is critical that we understand in detail the federal response. “Since the heads of these agencies have not appeared before us in quite some time, we have a lot of questions about the federal government’s response to COVID-19.” LACK OF RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON COVID “Further, many of the questions we have are due to a lack of response to Congressional inquiries regarding COVID-19. “One of the major concerns that has gone unanswered by the National Institute of Health is the lack of compliance and oversight into grant awards to EcoHealth Alliance. “There are a myriad of compliance issues surrounding EcoHealth and their sub-award grants to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, specifically for coronavirus research. “The NIH has been reluctant to answer our inquiries on issues such as EcoHealth withholding data, potentially double billing the federal government, and missing laboratory notebooks and electronic files that were supposed to be delivered to NIH by EcoHealth. “This process does not have to be confrontational. “Republican leaders have sent a similar letter to entities such as Boston University about an experiment involving a hybrid COVID virus that attracted press attention. “Boston University fully cooperated, sending a written response letter directly addressing the questions, producing about 2,000 pages of documents, and providing a briefing to bipartisan staff. “In contrast, the NIH has not provided a satisfactory or complete response. This is not acceptable. “Let me be clear, it is not acceptable to Stonewall any Member of Congress with oversight authority. Whether that member be a Democrat or a Republican. Whether Minority or Majority. “The people of America entrust us to find the answers and to provide oversight of the federal government.” NO RATIONALE BEHIND THE FORCED MASKING OF CHILDREN “Another one of the many issues that we hope to address today is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their rationale for masking and the closure and reopening of schools. “We now have the findings of a comprehensive review of multiple randomized controlled trials that show ‘no clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks’ or with the use of N95 masks. “The conclusion of these studies makes me wonder what evidence there ever was justifying forced masking of children. “The members of these subcommittees also have questions about pathogen research being funded and conducted by federal agencies. “In the United States, we have recently seen high-risk research done to intentionally modify pathogens, such as NIH’s experiments to enhance monkeypox’s virulence. “As a final note, I hope that our witnesses are more forthcoming and cooperative going forward. “At the end of day, we need to work together. “The Committee’s majority is willing work with you and our Democratic colleagues constructively to deliver solutions and pave a path forward for America. “We want to work in common purpose for the national good, but we must be partners, you and your agencies must be transparent, responsive, and cooperative in order for us to be able to work together.”