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WASHINGTON, D.C.  –  In case you missed it, Fox News recently featured Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, who shared his personal experience relating to the importance of ensuring patient safety remains the top priority within the nation’s organ transplant and procurement system.  In Case You Missed It:   “House Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., spoke to Fox News Digital on Tuesday about how his personal experience with organ transplantation has shaped his view of the system, which he said must ensure families are confident in it so they will not be afraid to donate much-needed organs.    “On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing with Dr. Raymond Lynch, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) chief of the organ transplant branch. Current and former leaders of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), Network for Hope, which serves Kentucky, southwest Ohio and parts of Indiana and West Virginia, were also present.  “The investigation follows a shocking HRSA investigation that found hospitals and OPOs in Kentucky were allowing organ procurement processes to begin despite patients showing signs of life. The investigation ultimately found that, since December 2024, out of 351 cases involving patients who had been authorized for organ procurement, but the organs were ultimately not recovered, 29% showed ‘concerning features’ related to protocols and patient safety, while around 20% exhibited a ‘neurologic status’ not conducive to organ procurement. “My big concern is people will not – if they don’t have confidence in the system – won’t feel like they’ll register as an organ donor, Guthrie said between panels at Tuesday’s hearing.   “People need to have confidence in the system, or at least know the questions to ask if they’re in this end stage with their loved one, Guthrie continued. Because when you’re sitting there, and you’re getting prepped to go get your next – hopefully, chance at life – you also, as you sit there, know that there’s some other family in some other emergency room somewhere else having a different experience. And they are losing a loved one, but they’re willing – the loved one, either pre-designated or they’re willing to let their loved one live on by helping somebody else live. “Guthrie’s experience stems from his mother, who died waiting on a new liver. He recounted how she was, at one point, told they had found her a new liver, but when the surgeon went to go pick up the new organ, it was not in the adequate shape to be transplanted. “Despite assurances that she was high on the list, Guthrie’s mother never found an organ in time before declining so fast that neither the congressman nor any of his relatives could attempt a live-organ transplant procedure. The live procedure allows a living person to donate a part of their organ, which will later grow back but can help repair the damaged organ in the person receiving the partial transplant. “Guthrie said that despite the alarming evidence uncovered by HRSA’s investigation, he still intends to keep his donor status, adding we need more people to donate. Currently, around 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant. “While the HRSA investigation probed multiple cases, it highlighted one shocking case in particular where staff were so uncomfortable with commencing the organ procurement process as a result of visible signs of life that some refused to participate. At that point, after staff had witnessed tears rolling down the patient’s face, the process eventually stopped, but not after the patient sat in the operating room getting prepped for organ donation for around 45 minutes. “This should never have gotten to the point of them being in the operating room, Guthrie said of the case. There were a lot of indications this person was not going to die. “Guthrie added that the issue is a bipartisan one and said the work will be done when confidence in the system has been shored up.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant System. “What happened in these cases cannot go without discussion and oversight. Transparency is key to improving the system and maintaining public trust,” said Chairman Joyce . “The federal government plays a critical role in ensuring the organizations tasked with administering and overseeing our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system operate safely, effectively, and in accordance with the law. This Committee has, and will continue, to follow the facts so that we can restore trust and accountability within the system.”   Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02): “We just need everybody here today—and both panels—to admit that we have issues we have to fix and not just point fingers. I think that's been a concern by some of us on our side of the dais, and I think both sides of the aisle. As you saw, the HRSA report that the OPO on the index case essentially said everything is working, and we know everything's not working—but we need everything to work—and it starts by acknowledging that we have a role in the process of fixing this. We need to admit we have issues. We need to admit there are issues that need to be fixed, and we need to come together and be constructive because I can tell you, as a son of someone that we were praying was going to have an opportunity to have an extended life, I've seen it. And there are families out there today in the same situation we were in.” Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06): “The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations publicized an open letter characterizing the ongoing effort to improve patient safety through enhanced oversight as a ‘misinformation conspiracy campaign’ and concluded it is time to stop. Among the signatories to this letter were more than 20 UNOS staff signing with their corporate affiliation. Dr. McBride, did you sign that letter? ” Dr. Maureen McBride: “Yes, I did.” Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06): “Why?” Dr. Maureen McBride: “Congressman, let me start off by saying that I disagree with the way that letter has been characterized.”   Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03): “As everyone knows, this committee has been investigating corruption from organ contractors for more than a year. In fact, I was in the last hearing that we had on this, and it was quite a contentious hearing. One issue that's pretty close to my heart is ensuring equal access for life saving transplants for patients with disabilities. Just last month, the House passed a bipartisan bill that I was proud to lead alongside my friend and colleague, Debbie Dingell, to end organ transplant discrimination against individuals with disabilities. It is with total horror that I read a recent investigative report highlighting one of the most horrific cases of patient abuses. ” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Full Committee Markup. Read more below.  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing on ensuring the nation’s organ procurement and transplant system prioritizes patient safety.  DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing on pipeline safety policy and will examine the reauthorization of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety program.   DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025  TIME: 10:30 AM ET  LOCATION: 2322 Rayburn House Office Building  FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of two bills.   DATE: Wednesday, July 23, 2025  TIME: 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman John Joyce (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant System . Subcommittee Chairman Joyce's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing entitled Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant System. I want to begin this hearing by saying that it is an honor to serve as Chairman of this Subcommittee and I look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to shed light on many areas in need of oversight and reform. “Just last year, more than 48,000 organ transplants were performed in the United States. Many of us know someone who is an organ donor or organ recipient. They might be relatives. neighbors, friends, or coworkers. These procedures are often lifesaving and can extend an individual's life by years, if not decades. While organ transplants are a relief to so many families, there is another side of the story that is equally as important, that of the donors and their loved ones. “In September of last year, this Subcommittee held a hearing to conduct oversight of the organ transplant and procurement system, as well as implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act, which was signed into law in September 2023. “During that hearing, certain allegations came to light, raising concerns whether practices and procedures were putting patient safety at risk. Following this hearing, the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, directed the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, or investigate this issue to better understand what transpired in one of these alleged incidents. “HRSA also conducted its own investigation. The agency compiled a report that describes practices at the organ procurement organization (OPO)—formerly known as the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA)—but is now known as Network for Hope. The report also details the failures by the OPO and the OPTN to adequately recognize and respond to poor patient care and quality practices. HRSA then issued a corrective action plan to the OPTN, directing them to take specific actions to address the concerns identified in the reviews. “I ask unanimous consent to enter HRSA's report, dated March 25, 2025, and HRSA's corrective action plan dated May 28, 2025, into the hearing record. Without objection so ordered. “The report provides a detailed overview of HRSA's investigation, including about what is referred to as the index case; additional cases that HRSA reviewed; actions taken by the OPTN, the OPTN contractor (UNOS), and KODA; and, finally, KODA's organ procurement in recent years. “As part of its review of the cases beyond the index case, HRSA focused on the overall medical presentation and initial and subsequent neurologic status of patients, staff interactions with patient families and primary medical teams, and evidence of robust documentation and quality assurance procedures. Lastly, the report includes an appendix consisting of OPTN's findings following the HRSA-directed review. “For every doctor, the most important tenet in the patient-physician relationship is above all, do no harm, but what happened in these cases fractured the physician-patient relationship and saw patients subjected to pain and suffering that never should have occurred. As Members of Congress, we all swore an oath to protect the Constitutional right to life afforded to all Americans. These incidents cannot be allowed to stand without strict investigation and oversight in the spirit of this Constitutional oath.   “The federal government plays a critical role in ensuring the organizations tasked with administering and overseeing our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system operate safely, effectively, and in accordance with the law. Transparency is key to improving the system and repairing public trust. This Committee has, and will continue, to follow the facts so that we can restore trust and accountability within the system.  “I want to thank the witnesses from both panels for joining us today. I look forward to hearing from each of you about the challenges facing the organ procurement and transplant system, the ways that the system can be improved, and how we can ensure the safety of all patients who elect to be organ donors.”  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John Joyce (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, announced a hearing titled Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant System.   “The Committee is continuing oversight of our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. Shocking information obtained by the Committee has shone a spotlight on ongoing patient safety concerns, lack of transparency, and mismanagement occurring within this system,” said Chairman Guthrie and Chairman Joyce . “This hearing is an opportunity to build upon previous bipartisan oversight work by this Committee and better understand how entities within the organ procurement and transplant system intend to institute reforms. Our members are committed to following the facts wherever they may lead with the goal of improving the organ procurement and transplant system in the United States and restoring faith in the system.”   Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing titled Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant System .   WHAT: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on ensuring the nation’s organ procurement and transplant system prioritizes patient safety.  DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM 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 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. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with Reps. Palmer (AL-06), Carter (GA-01), Bilirakis (FL-12), and Obernolte (CA-23), penned a letter to the Executive Director of Covered California (CoveredCA), Jessica Altman, to request further information related to the potentially unauthorized transmission of sensitive personal health information involving Covered California’s website. Key Letter Excerpt: “According to public reports and agency statements, tracking technology was embedded on Covered California's website beginning in February 2024, as part of a broader digital advertising effort, and in direct contravention of the tracking platform’s user agreement, which prohibits the use of such tools on pages that collect sensitive health information. Although the tags were reportedly removed in April 2025, following external scrutiny and a vendor transition, the extended period of data exposure raises serious questions about the adequacy of safeguards that Covered California had in place. Forensic testing by investigative reporters identified the trackers in operation and confirmed that user-entered health information was being transmitted to third parties without consent. These circumstances warrant examination of Covered California’s actions under federal privacy standards.” “Ensuring the confidentiality of health information is a foundational obligation for entities operating within the health insurance ecosystem. Federal privacy protections, particularly the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), establish expectations for how covered organizations handle sensitive data. Recent reports and public filings raised questions about whether those expectations were met in this case, and whether existing oversight mechanisms are sufficient to detect and prevent improper disclosures.” Background: Forensic testing shows Covered California —the State of California’s official health insurance marketplace—has been sending sensitive user health data to third-party websites through several online data trackers. Prior to removal of the trackers, CoveredCA had more than 60 trackers active on its website; the average number of trackers on a government website is three. Some types of information sent to such websites include: Searches for doctors in network with specific plans/specializations Demographic information, including gender, ethnicity, and marital status Length of treatment a patent received by a provider Frequency of doctor visits If the user indicated they were blind, pregnant, a victim of domestic abuse, or used prescription medications. The State of California independently operates CoveredCA. As the state’s official ACA marketplace, CoveredCA falls under the purview of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The disclosure of information such as pregnancy or prescription drug use without proper consent—even for “marketing purposes”—may violate HIPAA. This Congress, the Committee has sent letters to 23andMe and DeepSeek over potential data privacy concerns: The Committee also held a hearing last Congress on the Change Healthcare hack, where personal health information was also jeopardized. CLICK HERE to read Fox News coverage of the letter. CLICK HERE to view the full letter. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Stopping Illegal Robocalls and Robotexts: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps. Subcommittee Chairman Palmer's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing entitled 'Stopping Illegal Robocalls and Robotexts: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps.' All of us have personal experiences with unwanted robocalls and robotexts. Some are merely annoying, but others have devastating consequences. For example, in March, the FCC warned consumers about scam robocalls targeting older Americans, and DOJ announced that it charged 25 individuals for participating in the same scam that defrauded Americans out of more than $21 million in more than 40 states. The scammers made phone calls pretending to be an individual’s grandchild who needed money for 'bail' after being 'arrested,' or pretended to be the grandchild’s “attorney,” and were told they could not speak to anyone about the “arrest.” This is one of the many heartbreaking examples of scams perpetrated on Americans by illegal robocallers and bad actors. “According to recent estimates, in April 2025, nearly 2,000 robocalls were placed to U.S. consumers every second. Spam and scam calls make consumers feel threatened, fearful, and distrustful of legitimate callers. As more and more Americans ignore calls from unknown numbers, they miss important calls. Moreover, fraud perpetuated against Americans by illegal robocalls costs an average of $25 billion annually, primarily affecting those who cannot afford such losses. “We are also seeing a lot of unwanted and scam robotexts, and AI generated phone calls and text messages, including voice clones and deepfakes. According to the FCC, consumer complaints about unwanted text messages increased 500-fold between 2015 and 2022. Americans are frustrated and understandably so. “In 2019, the bipartisan Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence—or TRACED Act—was enacted to help reduce the flood of illegal robocalls. The TRACED Act allowed the FCC and law enforcement to impose stricter penalties for intentional violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA; improved adoption of technical solutions, like the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework; and established a federal interagency working group to combat illegal robocalls. “As a result, U.S. telecommunications carriers have made progress implementing STIR/SHAKEN into their networks. This framework authenticates that phone calls are coming from legitimate phone numbers, which helps reduce the number of spoofed and illegal robocalls. Generally, to operate within the U.S., voice service providers must now implement robocall mitigation programs and file these plans and their STIR/SHAKEN compliance certifications in the Robocall Mitigation Database overseen by the FCC. Moreover, in July 2020, the FCC recognized the U.S. Telecom Industry Traceback Group (ITG) as the single registered consortium to conduct private-led traceback efforts that identify the source of an illegal robocall. “The FCC has also taken measures to address the growing burden of unwanted and scam robotexts and abused AI technologies. Specifically, in March 2023, the agency adopted regulations targeting scam robotexts. In addition, industry actors have partnered with federal agencies to launch new programs, such as robotext tracing. Lastly, in August, the FCC proposed rules to protect consumers from AI-generated robocalls and robotexts. These are steps in the right direction, and I applaud the coordination we’ve seen thus far. “While the TCPA has provided many useful tools, the TCPA’s private right of action has given rise to class-action lawsuits focused on minor infractions, rather than the bad actors responsible for placing illegal robocalls and it has not reduced the number of illegal robocalls or improved consumer protection. “In addition, STIR/SHAKEN implementation among smaller carriers has been delayed and bad actors have exploited these providers’ reliance on legacy infrastructure. Moreover, a majority of illegal robocalls and robotexts originate overseas making them hard to trace. Because these bad actors are outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law enforcement, they are challenging to combat. “Finally, the FCC must grapple with emerging technologies and navigate the best way to create appropriate guardrails for these technologies while simultaneously continuing to support innovation. “We will always have robocalls and robotexts because not all of them are illegal. Many are used for legitimate purposes by U.S. businesses and public entities, but we must continue finding ways to combat these unwanted communications. “I want to thank our panel of witnesses for joining us. I look forward to a robust discussion to understand the current landscape of illegal robocalls and robotexts plaguing U.S. consumers and businesses so we can work together to identify and address remaining challenges. “I now recognize the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Ms. Clarke, for her opening statement.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Stopping Illegal Robocalls And Robotexts: Progress, Challenges, And Next Steps. “Spam and scam calls make consumers feel threatened, fearful, and distrustful of legitimate callers. That’s why, in 2019, the bipartisan Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence—or TRACED Act—was enacted to help reduce the flood of illegal robocalls,” said Chairman Palmer. “While many robocalls and robotexts are used for legitimate purposes by U.S. businesses and public entities, we must continue finding ways to combat the illegal communications seeking to defraud Americans across the country.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09) : “I’ve gotten a number of [scam texts], and I click ‘report as junk and delete’. Does that do any good?" Ms. Leggin: “It certainly does. That is one of the key tools that the wireless industry and our partners on the device side have made available for consumers to delete and report junk. You can also forward your scam text to 7726, which spells spam, and both of those are key inputs for [...] making our algorithms [...] more sophisticated.” Congressman John Joyce (PA-13): “Scammers have even learned how to incorporate AI into intimidating loved ones to convince them to turn over personal information. Credit card numbers, bank numbers. Too many of my constituents are risking their retirement savings and subsequently, they lose faith in the system that we have set in place to protect them. We need to do better. We need to both educate consumers, and anticipate the next angle of attack that these scammers will take, particularly with the assistance of our partners in law enforcement and the DOJ.” Congressman Michael Rulli (OH-06): “When I was young, I used to listen to a lot of talk radio in the 80s and the 90s, and it was a subject then and it's just a subject as much right now. [Seniors] want to enjoy their peace and their tranquility and these robocalls just keep ruining it.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Examining Ways to Enhance Our Critical Mineral Supply Chains . “Producing critical minerals here at home is essential for our economic and national security. We cannot allow the supply chains for critical minerals used in products like AI chips, cell phones, missiles, and fighter jets to be controlled by China, particularly the processing and refining phases of the supply chains,” said Chairman Palmer. “In today’s hearing, our witnesses were clear that Congress must take steps to build an environment enticing for domestic investment—including streamlining the permitting process—to help ensure that critical minerals can be mined, processed, and refined domestically.”  Watch the full hearing here .   Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “The US has the second longest timeline for a mine to be approved, and we’ve heard anecdotes of projects waiting decades for approval to break ground or begin operations. Why is it that approvals of projects in the U.S., whether it be a mine or a processing, refining, or recycling facility for critical minerals take so long in the U.S?” Mr. Herrgott: “One of the main reasons is lack of coordination amongst the various agencies that are involved in the permitting process. Most mining projects will require a variety of permits. We’ve had member companies that have had mines that require over 90 permits.” Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02): “Critical Minerals are the backbone of a modern economy and a modern military, from semiconductors to advanced weapons systems. Today, the U.S. imports between 50 percent and 82 percent of the critical minerals we need. So where are they coming from? It’s been mentioned plenty of times here – they’re coming from China. That’s not good. Our national security, our national industrial base, our economic future is dependent on supply chains we don’t control and from regimes we cannot trust. And why? Well, mostly because our laws and regulations have made it virtually impossible to open up new mines in this country, and even, even when we do mine, we still have to ship the raw materials overseas just to get them refined because we’ve offshored our processing capabilities.” Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14): “The U.S. once led the world in producing and refining rare earth elements but ceded that position to China in the 1980s. Today, China controls roughly 90 percent of global rare earth processing and has already demonstrated a willingness to restrict exports and thus, as one of you mentioned, affect the market. This leaves the U.S. dangerously exposed. If China were to halt exports entirely, think of that scenario. Where would we turn to secure the materials vital to our energy infrastructure and national security?” Ms. Hunter: “So, a total export ban would be devastating to the U.S. economy. We would need to rely on domestic sources if we can get them online, and then have them be processed into the final products that need to be qualified by manufacturers, and turn to allies as much as possible, countries with which we share national security priorities.” ###