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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36), Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, issued the following statement after the White House released a  federal AI framework . “AI has begun to demonstrate its potential to improve Americans’ lives. To ensure we continue to harness its potential and beat China in the global AI race, Congress must take action. Today, the Trump Administration took a critical step in releasing a framework that gives Congress a roadmap to pursue legislation that provides innovators with much-needed certainty, while protecting consumers and prioritizing kids’ online safety. House Republicans look forward to working across the aisle to enact a national framework that unleashes the full potential of AI, cements the U.S. as the global leader, and provides important protections for American families.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, sent a letter to Garney Companies, Inc., a contractor that was under consideration for an Emergency Master Service Agreement with DC Water to rehabilitate the Potomac Interceptor (PI) sewer line prior to its collapse on January 19, 2026.  “The collapsed portion of DC Water’s PI sewer line has resulted in what has been called ‘one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.’ The consequences of this spill continue to be evaluated, and the Committee remains concerned by the potential impacts to public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism,”  said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer.  “The resilience of our wastewater infrastructure systems remains critical, and the Committee aims to understand what risks were determined prior to this incident and how future incidents may be prevented.”   Key excerpt from the letter:   “As part of its investigation, the Committee continues to obtain information from entities and individuals with knowledge that is relevant to this incident. According to the DC Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors, Garney Companies, Inc (Garney) was under consideration for a potential Emergency Master Service Agreement for the PI rehabilitation, which was anticipated to begin on May 15, 2025. However, the contract was never finalized. The Committee is requesting information related to this contract and any additional information that your company may have related to the site of the PI wastewater collapse prior to the incident.   “It is the Committee’s understanding that the potential agreement between DC Water and   Garney would have covered a period of two years. The purpose of this contract was stated to   ‘[p]rovide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to   rehabilitate and provide redundancy for the Potomac Interceptor.’ Additionally, the project   scope included a number of repairs and upgrades to improve the reliability of this critical   Infrastructure.”   CLICK HERE   to read the full letter.  Background:   The Committee launched its investigation into the Potomac Interceptor collapse on February 20, 2026. Today’s letter to Garney represents the next step in uncovering what went wrong.   DC Water was considering an Emergency Master Service Agreement with Garney to “provide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to rehabilitate and provide redundancy” for the PI. That contract was anticipated to begin May 15, 2025, but the contract was never finalized.   The January 19, 2026, collapse of the PI sewer line has been called one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, with consequences for public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism still being evaluated.   The Committee is requesting all documents and communications related to Garney’s proposal, the unimplemented emergency contract, and information related to the collapse site prior to the incident—seeking to understand what risks were known beforehand and how future incidents can be prevented.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled  Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud. “Taxpayers are being defrauded of outrageously large amounts of money,”  said Chairman Joyce.  “For too long, states have been permitted to run Medicaid programs with weak guardrails, making them easy targets for criminals to exploit. While states have a duty to steward federal and state taxpayer dollars responsibly, federal oversight is necessary to root out systemic fraud, waste, and abuse.” Watch the full hearing  here .    Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02):  “How does the Fraud Defense Operation Center work?”  Ms. Brandt:  “The way it works is we get a mix of fraud investigators, lawyers, law enforcement, HHS, OIG, DOJ, and medical professionals all together, and we look at the data again, it's all data driven. We look at real time Medicare claims data and determine where we see big spikes in the data. For instance, on skin subs last year, one of the cases we saw was an 89-year-old woman who it showed that she had had 5,029 claims for skin subs submitted on her behalf and she was on hospice. Obviously, that's a pretty clear indicator of fraud.”  Guthrie:  “Is that improper payment or fraud?”  Ms.   Brandt:  “That would be fraud. And she would be mummified if that was actually the case.” Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14):  “In Texas, $65 million was paid in fraudulent Medicare claims related to genetic testing that was never even requested on behalf of the beneficiaries. It seems like you're aware of that, what have you observed with respect to their lab schemes involving fraudulent or unnecessary lab testing? How do you get to that? What's the process?”  Ms. Brandt:  “It's very difficult, sir, and we have observed it. In fact, as I mentioned to you with our fraud detection war room that we have of the $1.8 billion we stopped last year, $100 million+ of it was related to just those types of laboratory services. And unfortunately, what that means is then when those services get billed—even if they're not provided—they go on the patient's medical record and it precludes them from being able to get that type of testing in the future when they might need it for a cancer diagnosis or something more serious.”  Weber:  “So, our great citizens are the brunt of that, really, while the thieves are making way with the taxpayer dollars?”  Ms. Brandt:  “Correct.” Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12):  “Across many states, Medicaid providers have been found billing for services supposedly delivered to patients who were deceased, hospitalized, incarcerated, or living abroad. For example, in Massachusetts, a transportation company billed for nearly 17,000 rides, including 100 for patients already confirmed dead. In Colorado, a defendant billed $165,000 for rides for a beneficiary who had passed. In New York, investigators identified 25 transportation companies billing for rides for patients confirmed deceased or hospitalized. What mechanisms does CMS currently have to cross-check active claims against death records, hospital admission records, and incarceration records before approving payment?”  Ms. Brandt:  “We have a data matching agreement with SSA to be able to do a cross reference to something called the Death Master File, and in the Death Master File, all of the localities report all deaths. And as a result, we are able to run both providers and beneficiaries against that—to not only ensure that we aren't paying for dead people, but we aren't paying dead people, and that is what we do on the federal side. On the state side, it's more complicated because for states, they each have to do that on their own. I can't speak to what each state would do, and that is responsible for several of the cases that you just referenced.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud. Subcommittee Chairman Joyce’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s hearing titled, ‘Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud.’ “Today, we are continuing the Subcommittee’s ongoing examination of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. “Kim Brandt from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is here today to discuss the very real, and very harmful issues that we know address both Medicare and Medicaid fraud that are occurring right now across the United States and what CMS is doing to address this widespread fraud. “In Medicare, sectors such as durable medical equipment, genetic testing, skin substitutes, home health, and hospice are all experiencing high rates of fraud. “In Medicaid, schemes are running rampant in a variety of programs, from non-emergency medical transportation to personal care services, autism therapy, and substance use disorder treatment. “These crimes are despicable, yet we are seeing them occur time and time again across the country. In Minnesota, it’s Medicaid ABA services. In California, it’s Medicare hospice services. In Florida, it’s Medicare durable medical equipment. Once caught, fraudsters might be stopped, but they are always looking for their next scheme. The tentacles of these criminal schemes are long, and they reach into many different areas of health care. “And many of these fraud schemes target vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, individuals with disabilities, the homeless, and people struggling with substance abuse disorders. Moreover, taxpayers are being defrauded of outrageously large amounts of money. Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro, during his time as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, stated at a 2020 press conference, ‘It’s possible, no, likely, that Pennsylvania is losing $3 billion a year to fraud.’ And that’s just one state, and that’s just in one year. “For too long, states have been permitted to run Medicaid programs with weak guardrails, making them easy targets for criminals to exploit. While states do have a duty to steward federal and state taxpayer dollars responsibly, it is federal oversight that is necessary to root out systemic fraud. “As President Trump made clear during his recent State of the Union address and executive order establishing the Anti-Fraud Task Force, he is serious about the ‘War on Fraud.’ Under the leadership of Vice President and “antifraud czar,” J.D. Vance, and under the leadership of Dr. Mehmet Oz, this administration is taking bold steps to stop this fraud—more than any other presidential administration before it. “It is critical that fraud in government health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid are addressed to ensure there are adequate funds to maintain these programs for those who are in need and not for fraudsters to steal. “As this Committee builds upon Medicaid program integrity efforts that we advanced last year in H.R. 1, it is important that we continue to identify ways to address fraud to secure the financial stability and longevity of these programs. “The elderly, individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, and children all rely on these programs to receive the health care that they need, and the health care they deserve. We owe it to them to protect and preserve these programs, rather than allowing them to serve as a gold mine for criminals. “I want to thank Deputy Administrator Brandt for being here today. We are looking forward to hearing about the important work that you and your team are already doing at CMS under the leadership of Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz to protect and preserve Medicare and Medicaid. “With that, I now recognize our Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Ms. Clarke, for her opening statement.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding four Subcommittee Hearings. Read more below.  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss the lessons learned from Winter Storm Fern. DATE:  Tuesday, March 17, 2026   TIME:  10:00 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing on what the Trump Administration is doing to proactively tackle Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as well as continuing conversations surrounding common fraud schemes and programs that are vulnerable to fraud. DATE:  Tuesday, March 17, 2026  TIME:  2:00 PM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is holding a hearing on the role that providers play in making health care more affordable for all Americans.   DATE:  Wednesday, March 18, 2026  TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building   SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing on the World Radiocommunication Conference.   DATE:  Wednesday, March 18, 2026  TIME:  2:00 PM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, announced a hearing titled Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud. “Last month, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing where we heard from experts about common fraud schemes in Medicare and Medicaid and discussed programs that are particularly vulnerable to fraud. At the start of this month, the Committee expanded our ongoing investigation into Medicaid fraud by sending ten additional letters to states across the country to better understand how states are safeguarding Medicaid programs,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Joyc e. “This hearing will continue our work to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. We look forward to hearing from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about its efforts toward that shared goal.” Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing titled Protecting Patients and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars: The Role of CMS in Combatting Medicare and Medicaid Fraud. WHAT: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on what the Trump Administration is doing to proactively tackle Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as well as continuing conversations surrounding common fraud schemes and programs that are vulnerable to fraud. DATE: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Annabelle Huffman with the Committee Staff at Annabelle.Huffman@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Katie West at Katie.West@mail.house.gov . ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, the  New York Post   recently published an article highlighting letters sent to ten states, authored by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, inquiring about the rampant waste in their state Medicaid systems and what measures are being taken to address it. In Case You Missed It: “A House committee has launched an investigation into alleged Medicaid fraud in 10 states — including New York and California — demanding records ‘to ensure program integrity in states nationwide,’ The Post can reveal. “The letters, sent March 3 by GOP leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, asked for records and communications from the governors and leaders of state health agencies of New York, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington State. “Each of the missives drew attention to recent reports or prosecutions of fraudsters in the respective states. “In New York, for example, two individuals linked to adult day cares in Brooklyn and a home health care firm pleaded guilty in January to defrauding taxpayers out of $68 million in Medicaid funds. “Another scheme cited $120 million allegedly stolen from Medicaid and Medicare funds to the owners of Queens-based adult daycare centers and a pharmacy who were taking kickbacks. “The Empire State spent $115.6 billion on Medicaid for almost 7 million people in fiscal year 2025, but the program ‘has continued to grow at unsustainable levels,’ according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget plan for this fiscal year. “Other letters to California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Nebraska noted massive percentage increases in spending on Medicaid services in recent years. “‘Fraud shouldn’t be a partisan issue,’ Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) said in a statement. ‘It’s our most vulnerable Americans who are most at risk from fraudsters diverting precious resources intended for critical, needed care.’ “‘We owe it to our fellow Americans to preserve the Medicaid program for those that need it most, and states have an important role to play in ensuring that Medicaid programs operate with integrity,’ he added. ‘The Committee will continue to combat rampant waste, fraud, and abuse across the entire country.’ “The letters all cited reports of fraudsters bilking taxpayer funds in Minnesota — as well as Trump administration probes that recently led to the withholding of more than $250 million in Medicaid funding. “That fraud was perpetrated through ‘overbilling, falsifying records, identity theft, and phantom claims in Medicaid social service and health programs for the elderly and disabled, children with autism, people struggling with substance use disorders, and homelessness,’ wrote Guthrie and two other GOP subcommittee chairmen, Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.) and Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). “The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s probe comes after a hearing early in February that heard testimony from experts about kinds of fraud schemes — including those with ‘high rates’ of abuse such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), substance abuse treatment centers, home and community based services and more. “Certified fraud examiner Jessica Gay told the House committee that the vulnerable programs ‘should be on every state’s radar.’ “‘If a state isn’t monitoring ABA services closely, they are likely missing a considerable area where FWA is committed,’ Gay said. “‘Medicaid fraud robs both taxpayers and patients, and we will pursue it wherever it hides,’ Joyce said in a statement. “‘Republicans in Congress will continue to do the necessary legwork to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within our Medicaid system,’ added Griffith. “New York Gov. Kathy Hochul accused the House Energy and Commerce Committee of ‘playing partisan games,’ but vowed to continue to go after ‘bad actors in the Medicaid program.’ “‘Congressional Republicans should learn from Governor Hochul’s dogged efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse – including sweeping CDPAP reforms that shut down hundreds of wasteful Medicaid middlemen and saved over $2 billion for state and federal taxpayers while protecting home care for those who need it,’ a spokesperson for Hochul said in a statement. “A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom insisted the state has tackled Medicaid fraud for years. “‘California holds a strong commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and the integrity of public programs like Medi-Cal. The state has taken action against Medi-Cal fraud for years and utilizes robust oversight mechanisms to protect the integrity of Medi-Cal programs and preserve public confidence,’ the spokesperson said. “Colorado ‘takes oversight of our Medicaid programs very seriously, and prioritizes finding and rooting out fraud when it occurs, including referring to law enforcement,’ according to a statement from Gov. Jared Polis’ spokesperson. “Reps for the other seven governors’ offices and state health agencies in the states did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, are continuing their ongoing investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse within Medicaid programs by sending letters to ten additional states to request information and documents on the actions each state is taking to strengthen Medicaid program integrity. These requests come amidst reports and law enforcement actions that have demonstrated high levels of Medicaid fraud across numerous states. For example, in Massachusetts, a woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently billing MassHealth for $500,000 in Personal Care Attendant, home health, and adult foster care services after enrolling disabled, elderly, and homeless people in services without their knowledge or consent and billing Medicaid as their caretaker despite not providing these services. In Colorado, two individuals were charged in separate cases for defrauding Health First Colorado’s non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program. The first defendant allegedly billed over $1 million in NEMT rides—$400,000 of which were billed for rides for herself and family members, and most of which were not associated with transportation to medical appointments. The second defendant billed Health First Colorado for $3.3 million in NEMT rides, including $283,000 for 64 rides for a single beneficiary, $165,000 of which occurred after the beneficiary had died. In Oregon, a woman was sentenced to federal prison for using stolen identities to submit fraudulent health care claims to Oregon’s Medicaid Program, totaling over $3 million and triggering $1.5 million in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements. In New York, two individuals involved in a Brooklyn-based scheme involving adult day cares and home health  pleaded guilty   to $68 million in Medicaid fraud over a seven-year period. In addition, two men in Queens who owned adult daycare centers and a pharmacy  were recently charged  with $120 million in alleged Medicaid and Medicare fraud schemes. This included illegal kickbacks to Medicaid recipients to fill prescriptions at their pharmacies and enroll in their adult day care. It’s no secret that Medicaid fraud schemes have possibly cost the program billions of dollars annually across the country. These schemes contribute greatly to rising health care costs and strain our health care system, all at the expense of Medicaid beneficiaries and taxpayers. The Committee on Energy and Commerce is committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our government health programs like Medicaid to ensure Americans who need them get the quality, affordable care they deserve. Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith issued the following statements regarding the ongoing investigation: “Fraud shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It's our most vulnerable Americans who are most at risk from fraudsters diverting precious resources intended for critical, needed care , ” said Chairman Guthrie. “ We owe it to our fellow Americans to preserve the Medicaid program for those that need it most, and states have an important role to play in ensuring that Medicaid programs operate with integrity. The Committee will continue to combat rampant waste, fraud, and abuse across the entire country.” "Medicaid was established to ensure the most vulnerable Americans are never left behind. That is why fraud and abuse within Medicaid will not be tolerated. Medicaid fraud robs both taxpayers and patients, and we will pursue it wherever it hides," said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. "Expanding this investigation is part of our responsibility in Congress to ensure that the government upholds the standards it was created to serve. Our Committee will work diligently to strengthen the integrity of the Medicaid system and to ensure that those who engage in fraudulent misuse or abuse are held fully accountable." “Americans support federal health care programs that serve American communities, not fraudsters! Led by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, this latest series of letters is the next step in our investigations to protect our social safety net programs and secure them for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Rep. Griffith. “Republicans in Congress will continue to do the necessary legwork to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within our Medicaid system.” BACKGROUND: In January, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, wrote to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the Temporary Commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, Shireen Gandhi, requesting communications, documents, and information to better understand the ongoing Medicaid fraud occurring in the state of Minnesota and actions the state is taking to strengthen program integrity. On February 3, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid . During this hearing, expert witnesses testified on common examples of Medicaid fraud schemes and the potential scale of fraud in Medicaid programs nationwide. Now, as part of the Committee’s ongoing efforts to address Medicaid fraud, the Committee sent letters to CA , CO , MA , ME , NE , NY , OR , PA , VT , and WA . Each of these states displayed concerning cases of Medicaid fraud over the last several years. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the extent of fraud in state Medicaid programs and understand what states are doing to address the issue and protect the integrity of Medicaid for Americans. Read More About this Ongoing Investigation: CLICK HERE to read the New York Post's exclusive coverage of the letter.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment sent a letter to David Gadis, the Chief Executive Officer of DC Water requesting information on the failures that led to the spill in the Potomac River and what steps are being taken to ensure it is contained. “The Committee has concerns about how this incident will impact public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism, all of which fall within the Committee’s jurisdiction,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer. “DC Water is responsible for delivering drinking water and wastewater services to communities in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia (DC), as well as the federal government, including operation and maintenance of the 54-mile Potomac Interceptor line. The Committee is requesting documents and information from DC Water about what is already being referred to as ‘one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.’” Key excerpt from the letter: “Public health warnings have been given for people and pets to avoid contact with water from the Potomac River and to avoid fishing, rowing, and other activities in the area.The warnings to avoid the contaminated water come shortly before the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which is centered around the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River, and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, both of which are expected to attract millions of visitors to the District of Columbia. “An incident of this size and scale presents a significant threat to the public health and welfare of the affected communities, and swift mitigation of these risks is critical. Understanding the nature of how this incident occurred and how future incidents of this scale may be prevented in the future is imperative.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter. BACKGROUND: The letter comes as Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland residents continue to deal with the fallout of the spill that occurred on January 19, 2026, and now has resulted in e. coli levels at the spill site measuring at hundreds of times above EPA safety thresholds. As part of its oversight authority, the Committee is requesting information on what DC Water knew about the risk of a potential spill prior to January, documents discussing why emergency contracting was warranted to repair the pipe, why any approved contracts were not implemented, as well as actions DC Water has taken to address the environmental impacts of the spill.