News

Letter - Health Updates


Mar 27, 2024
Press Release

After Uncovering Earliest-Known SARS-CoV-2 Sequence, E&C Republicans Press NIH for Possible Additional GenBank COVID Submissions

Washington, D.C. — This past January, House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans revealed the earliest known SARS-CoV-2 sequence released outside of China, calling in to question China’s transparency . In a new letter , 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) have requested National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli provide the files of all SARS-CoV-2 submissions to GenBank prior to January 10, 2020. Any such data would better inform the Committee’s ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19. KEY LETTER EXCERPT :  “We were dismayed to learn that the NIH had received eight pages of genetic code and a nearly complete version of the genetic sequence for SARS-CoV-2, almost two weeks before the sequence was made public. However, the NIH apparently had no situational awareness in early January 2020 about this genetic code while high-level officials in our government were attempting to get the sequence, including directly from the Chinese government.  “The circumstances suggest the possibility that there may be other early versions of the SARS CoV-2 sequence that were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI’s) Genbank but were not posted. Since such potential submissions could provide clues about the timing of the pandemic and how SARS CoV-2 was evolving at the beginning of the pandemic, there is a strong public interest to conduct further due diligence to check GenBank for such submissions.”  BACKGROUND :  January 17, 2024 : E&C Investigation Uncovers Earliest Known SARS-CoV-2 Sequence Released Outside of China  September 28, 2023 : E&C Republicans Signal Intent to Issue Subpoenas as Biden Admin Stonewalls Crucial Investigations into Government Health Agency Actions  August 9, 2023 : E&C Presses Unresponsive NIH for Answers about COVID Origins and Risky Research Projects  May 3, 2023 : E&C Republicans Seek Data and Documents from NIH on Early COVID Cases



Mar 21, 2024
Press Release

E&C Launches Bipartisan Oversight Inquiry into Organ Transplant Contractor and Implementation of Bipartisan Reforms

Committee seeks to save lives and ensure proper implementation of new bipartisan law Washington, D.C. — Bipartisan leaders of the Energy and Commerce Committee launched an investigation into United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the sole contractor responsible for operating the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). The Leaders are also seeking information from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regarding ongoing reforms. The effort seeks to examine issues with OPTN’s prior operation and ensure proper implementation of the bipartisan Securing the U.S. Procurement and Transplantation Network Act , which was passed unanimously by the Committee and by Congress and signed into law by President Biden on September 22, 2023. The inquiry is led by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ); Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Ranking Member Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA); and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL). The Committee Leaders wrote to HRSA requesting information on how its OPTN contract solicitation plan will support fair and competitive practices during the contracting process, promote data transparency and patient safety, and ensure system security and operability. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “ Errors and inefficiencies in OPTN management can have deadly consequences . A HRSA-funded study found that, while Americans die each day waiting for organ transplants, as few as one in five potential donor organs have been recovered. The Committee wants to ensure HRSA’s ability to manage the successful implementation of the OPTN Modernization Initiative to improve accountability and effectiveness of the system that does not currently meet the needs of patients .” The Committee leaders also sent questions to UNOS Chief Executive Officer Maureen McBride regarding UNOS’s system security and operability, issues with patient safety and equity, and conflict-of-interest concerns. KEY LETTER EXCERPT : “A 2021 report, by the United States Digital Service titled 'Lives Are at Stake' found myriad problems with UNOS technology, concluding that ‘[t]he OPTN contractor lacks sufficient technical capabilities to modernize their systems,’ ‘[t]he core systems are fragile,’ and the system uptime is ‘insufficient’ for a life-saving system that depends on consistent operation. “An August 2022 report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) OIG found multiple, basic cybersecurity failures by UNOS. The OIG report noted that UNOS’s policies and procedures for access controls, risk assessment, and system monitoring ‘were either in draft or did not exist.’ Given the highly sensitive nature of the personal patient data UNOS keeps, it is vital that strong and enforceable security measures are required and consistently met under any OPTN management contracts. “ UNOS has been the sole organization managing the OPTN, during which time concerning reports have emerged that the organ donation system has become unsafe , inequitable , self-dealing , and retaliatory . The Committee supports HRSA’s proposed reforms to make the contracting process truly competitive to help ensure patients are served by the best contractors for each function.” BACKGROUND : The OPTN is a unique public-private partnership that links all professionals involved in the U.S. donation and transplantation system.  Since its inception, the OPTN contract has only been awarded to a single contractor—UNOS.  To address concerns with the donation and transplantation system, Congress passed legislation led by Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), which was signed into law in 2023, to modernize OPTN and allow HRSA to run a competitive process to choose the best contractors for different national OPTN functions.  Additionally, HRSA has also announced a Modernization Initiative to improve accountability and effectiveness of the system in order to better meet the needs of patients.  Alarm over ignored patient safety concerns suggests that both HRSA and UNOS systematically downplayed or ignored critical patient safety concerns, risking lives and undermining trust in the national organ transplantation system.



Mar 20, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans Request Government Watchdog Audit to Further Account for Billions in Funding for Mental Health and 9-8-8 Program that Remain Unused

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) wrote to U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. In their letter , the Chairs request GAO examine how the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has administered about $8 billion in COVID-19 supplemental funding, as well as nearly $1 billion in new funds provided to launch the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (9-8-8 Program).  Following previous inquires by the Committee, SAMHSA finally released data that shows states and grantees have failed to use even half of all these funds.  BACKGROUND :  According to SAMHSA’s budget overview, SAMHSA’s annual budget authority for fiscal year 2021 was $5.8 billion, but it also received more than $7.8 billion in additional money through the COVID-19 supplemental funding.   Like other federal and state government agencies, SAMHSA quickly had to manage priorities and oversee this influx of money to address challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Last year, in three separate letters, the Chairs requested that SAMHSA provide a full accounting for how the influx of funding had been spent.  SAMHSA’s response showed that it had obligated most of this funding—$8.2 billion in COVID-19 supplemental funding and over $850 million for the 9-8-8 Program as of November 2023—primarily through grants to states and other grantees.   However, SAMHSA grantees only spent about $4 billion out of the nearly $8 billion in COVID-19 supplemental funding and only about $350 million for the 9-8-8 program.  KEY LETTER EXCERPT :  “SAMHSA’s response also shows that the states and other grantees had used less than half of these obligated amounts by that date. In light of this, we have concerns about the nature and pace of using these funds, as well as SAMHSA’s ability to administer and oversee this additional funding.”  The Chairs request GAO provide a report that addresses the following questions:  To what extent have states and other grantees used SAMHSA’s COVID-19 supplemental funding allocated to grants, and funding for the 9-8-8 Program?  What information does SAMHSA collect on how states and other grantees have used this grant funding?  What factors have affected states’ and other grantees’ ability to use these funds?  What information is available on how states and other grantees will use any remaining funds?  How has this additional grant funding affected SAMHSA’s administration and oversight, and what adjustments, if any, has SAMHSA made to accommodate the influx?  CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 



Mar 6, 2024
Press Release

E&C, W&M, Oversight Committees, GOP Doctors Caucus Raise Concerns about $3 Billion Medicare Fraud Scheme

Washington, D.C. — After public reports of a large-scale, year-long Medicare fraud scheme involving catheter billing, leaders from the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Oversight and Accountability committees, along with GOP Doctors Caucus Co-Chairs, are seeking a briefing from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General (IG) Christi Grimm and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. In a new letter, the lawmakers request briefings from the HHS IG and CMS by March 20, 2024, regarding what steps are being taken to address this reported fraud and prevent its reoccurrence.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS : “It is imperative that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General take immediate action to reduce improper payments and ensure that taxpayer dollars are directed towards the care of our senior citizens whom Medicare is intended to serve. “Based on the information that is publicly known to date, the scale of the alleged catheter billing fraud, affecting over 450,000 Medicare beneficiaries, may represent a significant failure by CMS and HHS OIG. This dramatic, multifold increase in catheter billing—from just a handful of companies—should have been quickly identified and addressed. If public reports about the apparent ease with which this fraud was perpetrated are accurate, they raise questions about the efficacy of current CMS and the HHS OIG fraud detection and prevention measures. In addition, there are stakeholder concerns that a similar increase in fraud has occurred in diabetes supplies, and that this increase may be evidence of a new fraud against the Medicare program.” BACKGROUND : Public reporting estimates the cost of fraud from this scheme to be at least $2 billion. However, discussions between committee staff and stakeholders suggest the dollar figure may be closer to $3 billion. During the Trump administration, Medicare improper payments were reduced by billions per year. In the years since President Biden took office in January 2021, however, improper payments have increased dramatically. House Republicans have long raised the alarm about the prevalence of improper and fraudulent payments in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In 2016, Republican Members of Congress wrote to then Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt to express concern over the rise in Medicare's improper payments. Under the Biden administration, Medicare improper payments have an estimated total of $87.72 billion. Members signing the letter include: Energy and Commerce: Full Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) Ways and Means Committee: Full Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) Health Subcommittee Chair Vern Buchanan (R-FL) Oversight Subcommittee Chair David Schweikert (R-AZ) Oversight and Accountability Committee: Full Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) Health Care and Financial Services Subcommittee Chair Lisa McClain (R-MI) GOP Doctors Caucus Co-Chair Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC) Co-Chair Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) Co-Chair Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-OH) CLICK HERE to read the full letter.



Feb 16, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans Request Former NIH Official Participate in Transcribed Interview Regarding Oversight of Risky Virus Research Experiments

Washington, D.C. — As part of its ongoing investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the adequacy of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) oversight of risky virus research, 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) have requested former senior NIH official Dr. Teresa Hauguel participate in a transcribed interview before the Committee.  KEY EXCERPT :  “As a former program officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), documents indicate that you participated in internal institute committee meetings to determine whether certain virus research experiments presented risks that required additional scrutiny and possible actions to mitigate the risks such as redesign of the experiment. You have been identified by a senior official at NIAID as a subject matter expert for reviewing risks in respiratory virus research projects. For these reasons, we believe you could be helpful to the committee’s examination of virus research oversight, and thus, we request that you appear for a transcribed interview to be held on the week of March 4, 2024.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter.



Feb 16, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans Raise Concerns with Proposed Rule that Weakens HHS Refugee Resettlement Vetting Process

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, wrote to Biden administration officials who oversee the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement. In the letter, the Chairs raise concerns about a recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would weaken the vetting process for children in the program as well as ORR’s poor stewardship of taxpayer dollars and potential conflicts of interested related to the ORR Director.   In addition, the Chairs note that HHS has failed to respond to questions for the record from a hearing in July of 2023, despite several extensions given to the original deadline.  KEY EXCERPTS : “ORR’s inclusion of this provision [Sec. 410.1202 (c)] is particularly surprising considering continual bi-partisan Congressional interest in bolstering the sponsor vetting process. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra was repeatedly questioned on the thoroughness of the sponsor vetting process at a Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing last summer. The Secretary repeatedly assured the Subcommittee that ORR was conducting a ‘very thorough vetting process for any sponsor to make sure we understand who is asking for the opportunity to care for these children.' Making background checks and fingerprinting optional is inconsistent with the Secretary’s testimony to Congress .”  […]  “Numerous media and government oversight reports have clearly shown that the care provider facilities and sponsors do not always act in the best interest of the unaccompanied children. Many ORR influx care facility’s personnel have shown that they are frequently unqualified to care for vulnerable children. There have even been allegations of neglect and sexual misconduct by influx care facility staff with migrant children. Loosening vetting procedures for sponsors by eliminating background checks, fingerprints, and home visits, will put vulnerable unaccompanied children at a greater risk of being trafficked, exploited, or placed in unsafe settings.   “ Whistleblowers have reported to Congress how HHS endangered the lives of unaccompanied migrant children by not properly vetting sponsors and not tracking children after they left ORR custody. Many children have ended up working in unsafe environments, such as roofing and meatpacking plants, after they were placed with an ORR approved sponsor. Some unaccompanied children have even died from injuries sustained while working at these sites. The Committee has received new allegations that ORR knowingly attempted to place a child with a convicted sex offender who was previously convicted of sexually abusing another child in his custody.”  […]  “ORR’s neglect of the unaccompanied children comes at a time when the agency has received unprecedented levels of funding. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), ORR’s parent agency, has received $20 billion in the last two years—$8.9 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and $10.9 billion in FY 2023—for refugee and entrant assistance, including more than $10 billion for the care of unaccompanied migrant children . ORR’s continued failure to care adequately for unaccompanied children in its custody, shows not only indifference to child welfare, but poor stewardship of taxpayer dollars.  “ The Committee is also disturbed to learn of potential conflicts of interest stemming from Director Dunn Marcos’ prior role as Senior Director for Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration Programming at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Recent reports indicate not only that the IRC has been the top beneficiary of refugee and entrant assistance discretionary grants since 2013, but also that the funding amounts allocated to the IRC in 2022 and 2023 have ballooned, with the organization receiving more than $235 million in spending in FY 2023 compared to $22 million in FY 2021—curiously, since Director Dunn Marcos took office.”  BACKGROUND : Section 410.1202 (c) of the Proposed Rule states, "As part of its suitability assessment, ORR may also require such components as an investigation of the living conditions in which the unaccompanied child would be placed and the standard of care the unaccompanied child would receive, [. . .] a home visit or home study […], background and criminal records checks, which may include a fingerprint based background check, on the potential sponsor and on adult residents of the potential sponsor’s household." Section 410.1210 (a)(3) does not require PRS for children with mental health needs, as the UC Program Foundational Rule now states “ORR may conduct PRS in additional cases involving unaccompanied children with mental health or other needs who could benefit from ongoing assistance from a community-based service provider,” based on available appropriations.  Unaccompanied children often undergo extreme physical and mental trauma in their perilous journey to the U.S. and are in need of regular mental health and wellness checks by appropriate providers.   Such services must be available for children manifesting obvious mental health symptoms.  Section 410.1210 (a)(4) states “ORR shall not delay the release of an unaccompanied child if PRS are not immediately available.”   By including this provision, ORR absolves itself of all responsibility that an unaccompanied migrant child will be properly taken care of after release in situations where the unaccompanied child clearly needs PRS.  Section 410.1210 (e) provides that ongoing check-ins and in-home visits will be made “in consultation with the released unaccompanied child and sponsor,” and may be done “either in person or virtually. ”  CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 



Feb 12, 2024
Press Release

E&C Leaders Ask Government Watchdog to Assess Risks of HHS and USDA Selling Excess Laboratory Equipment

Members raise dual-use concerns over lab equipment that could facilitate bioterrorism or warfare 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 Committee Republicans, wrote to Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. In the letter, the Chairs request GAO study the oversight by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of sales of used and excess laboratory equipment and protective clothing that could be used to facilitate bioterrorism or warfare.  KEY EXCERPT :  “In 2023, GAO reported that a number of incidents over the past 10 years have led to questions about the nature and adequacy of U.S. government oversight of pathogens with pandemic potential. Moreover, these lapses have furthered concerns about the potential for a biological weapons attack. In recent years, increases in the accessibility of scientific findings and dual-use biological laboratory equipment—such as used fermenters, centrifuges, and other equipment—could increase the likelihood of such an attack. The availability of both biological laboratory equipment and protective clothing on the commercial market provides access to materials needed to conduct legitimate scientific research, but also increases the chances this equipment could be used for malicious purposes, such as biological terrorism or warfare. Furthermore, the existence of a resale market for this type of equipment and clothing at reduced cost means terrorists have the potential for even greater access to the supplies needed to create biological weapons.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.



Feb 5, 2024
Press Release

Chair Rodgers Subpoenas NIH for Documents Related to Investigation into Sexual Harassment at NIH and NIH Grantee Institutions

Committee seeks whistleblowers to inform investigation Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) today issued a subpoena to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for documents and information related to the Committee’s multi-year investigation into the NIH’s handling of sexual harassment complaints within the agency and its grantee institutions. The investigation, led by Chair Rodgers and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), has uncovered at least 300 cases related to harassment since 2018. Over the course of the Committee’s investigation, the NIH has refused to turn over more information related to its handling of this widespread problem. The subpoena comes after Chair Rodgers notified the NIH of the Committee’s intent to use compulsory measures, including in a formal letter on January 26, 2024, and subsequently last week. The NIH failed to respond adequately to the request by last Friday's deadline.  In the January 26 letter, Chair Rodgers wrote:  “ Sexual harassment is degrading and illegal. Studies show it has a negative effect on the ability of women to engage in research at the same level as men. Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and other forms of sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding, and federal agencies are required to enforce the law at the universities they fund. As the largest public funder of biomedical research, the NIH is uniquely positioned to transform the culture of science to prevent sexual harassment and mitigate its detrimental impacts.”  […]  “ Unfortunately, the NIH has failed to comply adequately with requests for information and documents related to its handling of sexual harassment complaints. The NIH’s course of conduct demonstrates a lack of good faith and an unwillingness to engage with the Committee voluntarily. Accordingly, the Committee has no choice but to issue a subpoena compelling production of these documents so that the Committee can carry out its oversight responsibilities. ”  CLICK HERE to read the full letter.  CLICK HERE to read the subpoena cover letter.  TIMELINE LEADING UP TO SUBPOENA :  August 10, 2021 : E&C Republican Leaders Question NIH’s Handling of Sexual Harassment Complaints  August 11, 2022 : E&C Republican Leaders follow up with NIH on Insufficient Response to its Letter on the NIH’s handling of Sexual Harassment  November 30, 2022 : E&C Republicans to NIH: Turn Over Previously Requested Information Ahead of New Congress  March 14, 2023 : E&C Republicans Press NIH for Information on Handling of Sexual Harassment Complaints  October 6, 2023 : E&C Republicans Signal Intent to Issue Subpoenas to Obtain Information on NIH’s Handling of Sexual Harassment if Questions Go Unanswered  January 26, 2024 : Chair Rogers notifies NIH of Imminent Subpoena  WHISTLEBLOWERS:   The Committee is seeking whistleblowers with knowledge of sexual harassment at the NIH or NIH grantee institutions, as well as those with knowledge of how the NIH handles such complaints.  The right for public employees to communicate with Congress, in their private capacities, is established in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In addition, various U.S. laws prohibit retaliation against whistleblowers for providing information to Congress. However, individuals still take serious risks when they engage in whistleblowing activity.  To better protect your communications, do not contact the Committee using work resources, work contact information, or while you are working . Further, consider consulting an attorney experienced in representing whistleblowers before you make a disclosure.  Do not submit classified information or other information barred from release through this form or by email. Unauthorized handling of classified information could result in criminal prosecution.  The Committee respects your need to remain confidential and will use your contact information only to follow up with you regarding your submission. You may submit a disclosure anonymously. However, please be aware that anonymous disclosures may limit the Committee’s ability to respond to the information that you provide.  Individuals with information about harassment at the NIH may contact the Committee via email at:  ReportNIHAbuse@mail.house.gov   Individuals with information about harassment at institutions that receive NIH grants may contact the Committee via email at:  ReportNIHGranteeAbuse@mail.house.gov   Additional resources can be found HERE .



Jan 22, 2024
Press Release

Bipartisan E&C Leaders Request FDA Briefing Regarding Lead and Chromium Contamination of Applesauce Pouches

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Ranking Member Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL) wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to request a briefing regarding the possible intentional contamination of applesauce pouches. BACKGROUND :  On November 9, 2023, the FDA announced that WanaBana USA had voluntarily recalled three applesauce brands—Weis, WanaBana, and Schnucks—“due to reports of elevated levels of lead.” Subsequently, on January 5, 2024, the FDA announced that its testing of the applesauce pouches and cinnamon collected from the manufacturing facilitiy had also found chromium.  In a statement , the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, Jim Jones, indicated that recent lead contamination in applesauce pouches may have been an intentional, economically motivated act by a foreign supplier of cinnamon for the recalled products.  As of January 8, 2024, the FDA had received 87 confirmed complaints/adverse event reports linked to the recalled product.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 321 cases from 38 different states.  Of those 321 cases, reports suggest more than 60 children under the age of six in the United States have tested positive for lead poisoning.  Children in this age range are more susceptible to lead poisoning, which makes the Committee’s concerns about intentional product adulteration along the global supply chain particularly urgent.  KEY LETTER EXCERPT:   “Though the FDA has in the past elevated concerns about unacceptably high levels of lead in some baby food, recent events raise whether more can be done to prevent and detect illicit food contamination. Therefore, the Committee urgently requests a detailed briefing on the FDA’s suspicion of intentional lead contamination in applesauce pouches, particularly the steps undertaken for its investigation and measures for future prevention. It is crucial to understand the FDA’s strategies for detecting and addressing intentional contamination in the food supply chain given the limited authority your agency has over contaminated cinnamon from abroad, which was identified as the potential source of this issue. ”  The bipartisan Committee leaders requested a briefing no later than February 2, 2024, and requested that the following topics should be covered:  A timeline of events leading to the discovery of lead contamination in the three applesauce brands listed above.  How did the FDA determine that the adulteration of raw cinnamon may have been intentional?  How is the FDA collaborating with international partners, particularly Ecuadorian authorities, to investigate this issue thoroughly?  How is the FDA collaborating with domestic partners, including state departments of health, to investigate this issue thoroughly?   What steps have been taken to determine if other foods have been contaminated as a result of this supply chain vulnerability?  How, if at all, does the FDA’s process for detecting lead contamination in food products differ for foods produced domestically from food produced abroad?   Since 2020, what has the FDA done to identify lead-contaminated foods and prevent them from reaching shelves?   Since 2020, how many recalls has the FDA issued related to lead contaminated foods? Of those, please specify how many were related to contamination products manufactured in America and how many were related to contamination abroad.    What are the FDA’s capabilities within its existing authorities to enhance monitoring and inspection processes to better detect and prevent intentional acts of lead contamination along the supply chain, including internationally, and what plans does the FDA have to use those authorities?  What additional resources or authorities are needed to better detect and prevent intentional acts of lead contamination along the supply chain, including along international supply chains? Will the FDA commit to providing the Committee with rolling updates on the status of the investigation, including findings related to the suspected international contamination?  CLICK HERE to read the full letter.