Rep. John Joyce

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Capitol Office

2102 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

(202) 225-2431

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District

Pennsylvania – 13th District

Pennsylvania – District 13

Leadership

Chairman Oversight and Investigations

119th Congress

Subcommittees (3)

5 Updates

Oversight & Investigations

Chairman Oversight and Investigations

10 Updates

Health

10 Updates

Environment

Biography

Congressman John Joyce, M.D. has represented Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2019.

In Congress, Congressman Joyce serves as a Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and as the Vice-Chair of the House GOP Doctor’s Caucus. Since arriving on Capitol Hill, Congressman Joyce has prioritized and championed legislation and initiatives focused on delivering affordable, quality healthcare in rural communities, lowering energy prices, and expanding access to high-speed internet across South Central Pennsylvania.

The son of Bernard and Peggy (Hallinan) Joyce, Congressman Joyce is the third generation of the Joyce family to be born and raised in Altoona. After graduating from Bishop Guilfoyle High School and attending Penn State Altoona, Congressman Joyce received his undergraduate degree with honors from Penn State University Park in 1979 and his Doctor of Medicine from Temple University in 1983 before continuing his medical training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and with the U.S. Navy in Portsmouth, Virginia.

A fellow in the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Dermatology, Congressman Joyce and his wife Dr. Alice Plummer Joyce established Altoona Dermatology Associates in 1991, and for over 25 years, the Joyce’s have cared for families across Central Pennsylvania, serving patients from all ten counties in the 13th Congressional District.

A lifelong member of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona, Congressman Joyce has given back to his hometown through volunteer service at the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen and service on the Advisory Boards of Penn State Altoona, the American Cancer Society, the United Way, and the Goodman Trust.

Pennsylvania – District 13

Leadership

Chairman Oversight and Investigations

119th Congress

Contact

Subcommittees (3)

Biography

District

News & Announcements

Dec 18, 2025

Environment

Environment Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Current Statutory and Regulatory Landscape of PFAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, led a hearing titled Examining the Impact of EPA’s CERCLA Designation for Two PFAS Chemistries and Potential Policy Responses to Superfund Liability Concerns.

“CERLCA was enacted in 1980 to facilitate the cleanup of the most contaminated sites around the country and to establish a scheme to hold liable for cleanup costs the parties responsible for that contamination. Superfund imposes strict, and joint and several liability on parties,” said Chairman Palmer. “In other words, a responsible party could be responsible for the entire cost to cleanup a contaminated site even if its contribution to the pollution was minimal.”

Watch the full hearing here

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “CERCLA was established to hold polluters liable for the cleanup of chemical contamination that they caused. This polluter pays liability framework is helpful in many instances where there is a need for expensive environmental cleanups, so that the party that generated or released the hazardous substance can be held responsible for the associated costs. However, the liability established by CERCLA does not stop with the polluters. Under the statute’s liability framework, any person who has had incurred costs related to the remediation of hazardous substances can file suit against not just polluters, but so-called passive receivers. These passive receivers are not involved in the initial generation or discharge of hazardous chemicals, but might receive water, soil or other materials containing such substances. Given how common the use of PFAS is, the 2024 final rule designating two PFAS chemistries as hazardous substances creates a system where many passive receivers will be drawn into costly legal proceedings for contamination that they bear little or absolutely no responsibility for having created.”

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “As the Representative from Iowa, I take seriously our responsibility to protect public health and the environment while also ensuring that federal policies are fair, clear, and feasible in Iowa. Clean water affects our farmers, our rural communities, our drinking water systems, and our local employers, as well as families. Many of the entities now worried about the circle of liability like water utilities, wastewater facilities, landfills and farmers, who responsibly apply biosolids, did not create PFAS but could still be swept up in a liability scheme that is retroactive, strict, joint, and several. Cost to passive receivers is only one piece of the problem. We should also explore options that support swift remediation and provide the liability certainty necessary for American industry to focus on solutions that allow them to continue to invest in the US, rather than endless courtroom battles. At the same time, we should be encouraging innovation and American ingenuity. Iowa agriculture is already helping lead the way with promising alternatives to PFAS, including soy-based fire suppressants made from soybean meal. These kinds of homegrown solutions can reduce reliance on legacy chemicals, create new markets for farmers, and strengthen our economy without heavy handed mandates from Washington.”

Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01): “This is certainly an important hearing, and Mr. Chairman, I applaud you and thank you for holding it. […] We've established the fact that PFAS are used in a number of different areas and a number of different things, and consumer products and industrial purposes. And oftentimes they're used in life saving devices, electronics and firefighting foams. I'm going to touch on that in just a second, but while they're essential for everyday life and many life saving devices, its very complex nature makes the cleanup and the disposal difficult. So, I want to talk about the practicality of how we deal with this. I'm not denying we need to deal with it, I just want to talk about the practicality.”

Dec 17, 2025

Oversight & Investigations

O&I Subcommittee Holds Hearing on AI and Biotechnology

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Examining Biosecurity at the Intersection of AI and Biology.

“As a physician, I must acknowledge the extraordinary promise that AI-enabled biotechnology holds for patient care. AI is accelerating drug discovery, improving protein modeling, and enabling the development of therapies with unprecedented precision,” said Chairman Joyce. “The Trump Administration has taken steps to keep up with such advancements, but the federal government must continue to carefully assess whether our current safeguards and reporting systems are adequate in an era of rapidly advancing AI technology.”

Watch the full hearing here

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02): “We've talked a lot about how AI can be used for all sorts of scary things. What about the good parts? What about assisting industry leaders and researchers in identifying biosecurity risks? In other words, you know, how can we use AI for good?” Mr. McKnight: “Thank you for the question. This builds on the conversation we were having about select agent lists and then the new incredible diversity of threats. The same way the biodesign tools that we're talking about can create new proteins and give lessons on how to create new medicines, those same tools can be turned around. [...] They can be turned around to automate the process of interpreting a sample that you're looking at, and then the development roadmap that is funded through these programs is to use AI to go from sequence detection to what the function is.”

Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01): “In an attempt to try to close the door on this, President Trump had the executive order back in May. And looking at the gene synthesis, in the section of the President's EO of the gene synthesis section, can you say what specific parts of that order are actually going to stop these threats, or have the best chance of stopping these threats? Can they stop [those] threats if implemented? And, just a follow up, what else should we in Congress be doing about this?” Dr. Pannu: “Thank you for the question. Overall, I'm glad that you mentioned the executive order from May; I think that's an important initiative. There are a couple of things in that I would want to highlight: the gene synthesis provisions do call on Congress to proceed with a legislative effort to make gene synthesis screening mandatory across the U.S., that's something that Congress could advance. The other provisions on clearly defining what is dangerous gain of function research, those policies have yet to be released from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, so Congress could ask for an update as to those, and where they currently stand.”

Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01): “Are there early warning indicators—whether they're digital, biological or supply chain—that could help identify AI-enabled biological misuse? Because you talked about that digital to physical barrier.” Mr. McKnight: “Yes, one of the key capabilities that we work on is when you take a sample with Biothreat Radar from an airport, or from a community, or from a threat location, you bring it, you do DNA sequencing with it. […] We have a set of tools that we are constantly developing with cutting edge machine learning AI to analyze that DNA to tell you what’s in it, what different types of pathogens, are there new things that you haven’t seen? And one of the very specific tools that we work on that was developed in conjunction with IARPA […] is a tool that actually looks and algorithmically scores to identify if something has been genetically engineered or not.”

Dec 17, 2025

Oversight & Investigations

Chairman Joyce Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing on AI and Biotechnology

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 Examining Biosecurity at the Intersection of AI and Biology.

Subcommittee Chairman Joyce’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing entitled “Examining Biosecurity at the Intersection of AI and Biology.

“The goal of today’s hearing is to examine a rapidly evolving threat landscape at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. This convergence promises extraordinary breakthroughs for medicine, public health, and scientific discovery. It also introduces profound new risks to the safety and security of the American people.

“Our hearing today is about minimizing the risk of misuse to protect national security, while also maintaining public support of AI’s ability to assist with miraculous things—like finding life-saving cures for diseases.

“For decades, the United States has led the world in biotechnology. But what was once confined to specialized labs with highly trained scientists is now increasingly accessible far beyond traditional boundaries. Synthetic biology tools have become less expensive and more widely available. For example, a basic CRISPR gene-editing kit can be purchased online for under $300.

“Advanced AI systems—like large language models, or LLMs, and biological design tools capable of generating, troubleshooting, and optimizing biological designs—are moving faster than our existing oversight frameworks were built to anticipate.

“In recent years, studies have shown that cutting-edge AI models can walk users step-by-step through complex biological processes, including those relevant to developing or modifying dangerous pathogens. These tools can assist experts in breakthrough research, but they may also enable individuals with far less training to bypass barriers that once protected against accidental or intentional misuse. Some LLMs have even been shown to outperform PhD-level virologists on advanced troubleshooting tasks.

“There is also early evidence that AI systems can design entirely new biological entities. A recent study demonstrated that an AI model generated multiple synthetic viruses—some with capabilities that researchers previously believed were impossible.

“But the same technological advancements can also raise the stakes for biosecurity. These risks are not theoretical. National security experts warn that adversarial nations—including China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, and others—may seek to exploit AI-enabled biological design tools for malicious purposes. We must take those warnings seriously.

“AI-enabled biotechnology presents issues that our current frameworks may not adequately account for. Existing government oversight systems—such as the Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) policy—may not apply when an AI-designed organism is not identified as a Select Agent, not known to infect humans, or not developed with federal funds.

“The Trump administration has taken steps to keep up with such advancements, but the federal government must continue to carefully assess whether our current safeguards and reporting systems are adequate in an era of rapidly advancing AI technology.

“I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. Your expertise will help guide Congress as we confront this challenge.”

Letters

Nov 17, 2025

Health

Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce Pen Letter to CMS Following HHS Announcement Decertifying South Florida OPO and Implementing Further Safety Guidelines for the Organ Procurement and Transplant System

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, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting a briefing to better understand the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent actions and ongoing work to enhance safety within the organ procurement and transplantation system. On Thursday, September 18, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced major efforts to improve safety, transparency, and efficiency within the organ procurement and transplantation system, including the decertification of an organ procurement organization (OPO) for the first time in U.S. history. According to the announcement , the decision was made “after an investigation uncovered years of unsafe practices, poor training, chronic underperformance, understaffing, and paperwork errors.” The Committee has a history of ensuring patient safety remains the highest priority in our organ procurement and transplantation system, as evident from the Committee’s work last Congress on organ transplantation and donation issues as well as its oversight this Congress. As a part of its ongoing investigation, the Committee requests that CMS respond to questions, including those related to the decertification of the OPO in South Florida and the prevalence of incidents similar to those outlined in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) investigative report, to ensure patient safety remains a top priority. Read the full letter HERE . “While the Committee applauds efforts taken by CMS to uphold the highest standards of care to which all OPOs are expected to adhere, HHS’s announcement decertifying the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency illustrates the urgency of this moment and why the subcommittee is not finished with our oversight of the organ transplant system,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce. “It is our moral obligation as members of Congress to establish safeguards and prevent these harmful practices from persisting further, and we look forward to obtaining answers from the agency about the prevalence of these incidents, as well as how CMS plans to proceed with prioritizing patient safety first and foremost.” Background: During the 118th Congress, the Committee on Energy and Commerce led the passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act to both modernize the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and allow HRSA to institute a competitive contracting process to find the best contractors for various OPTN functions. This legislation was signed into law on September 22, 2023. On March 20, 2024, the Committee launched an investigation into the organ procurement and transplantation system by sending a letter to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) requesting information related to concerns surrounding data security and operability, patient safety and equity, and conflicts of interest. On March 20, 2024, the Committee also sent a letter to HRSA requesting information related to implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act as well as other concerns related to effective oversight and management. On September 11, 2024, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing that focused on the implementation of reforms at the OPTN, including the need for stronger oversight and accountability as well as ongoing patient safety concerns. During the hearing, questions were raised related to allegations of mismanagement and patient safety concerns after patients began exhibiting signs of increased neurologic function after being previously deemed suitable as an organ donation candidate. Several of these allegations, particularly those related to patient safety, were later substantiated through the findings contained in HRSA’s March 2025 report. On March 24, 2025, HRSA’s Division of Transplantation issued a report that summarized the findings of its investigation into KYDA, the OPO now known as Network for Hope, which serves Kentucky and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana. HRSA’s investigation examined an “index case” and an additional 351 unique cases of authorized, not recovered (ANR) patients. This means that the patients were considered for donation after circulatory death recovery, but no organs were transplanted. The report showed that nearly 30 percent of the cases “had concerning features.” The concerning features included problems with patient-family interactions, medical assessments and team interactions, recognition of high neurologic function, and recognition and documentation of drugs in records. On May 28, 2025, HRSA issued a corrective action plan to the OPTN, which directed the OTPN to take specific actions within a specified period of time, including developing a 12-month OPTN monitoring plan for KYDA to address concerns identified. The corrective action plan also requires the OPTN to propose policies for public comment to improve safeguards for potential donation after circulatory death (DCD) patients in the organ procurement process and increase information shared with patient families regarding DCD organ procurement. On July 22, 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing examining concerning practices within our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system that were identified by HRSA’s investigation. On September 12, 2025, the Committee sent a bipartisan letter to HRSA requesting a briefing on its ongoing oversight of patient safety in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. ###

Nov 14, 2025

Environment

Chairmen Joyce and Palmer Send Letter to GAO Requesting Information on Alternatives to Critical Minerals Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, 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 Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting an assessment of available or emerging technologies and materials that could be used to supplement critical minerals in semiconductors. “Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential for technologies used in many sectors of the economy, including energy, transportation, national defense, health care, and consumer electronics,” said Chairmen Joyce and Palmer . “These minerals are vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions for several reasons, including U.S. reliance on foreign sources, as well as the rapid growth in demand for critical minerals in the U.S. and abroad.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter. The letter asks the GAO to examine: The status of domestic technologies and supplemental materials, such as critical minerals found in mine waste, tailings, or reclaimed from end-of-life batteries and electronic waste, that can serve as substitutes for foreign-sourced critical minerals from non-allied nations needed for semiconductors and energy grid or power electronics, including impacts on material and product performance. Key technological challenges to the development or adoption of these domestic supplemental and materials to advance the diversification of U.S. critical mineral sources. BACKGROUND: In May, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on ways to enhance our critical mineral supply chains. Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to strengthening our critical mineral supply chains and finding solutions to reduce our reliance on foreign sources, particularly when it comes to foreign adversaries like China. The Trump Administration has also worked hard to bolster these supply chains. Critical minerals are essential to American technologies and industries, and finding innovative domestic solutions that can contribute to our independence from non-allied nations is essential as we work to onshore American innovation and strengthen our national security. ###

Oct 31, 2025

Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade

Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Bilirakis Send Letter to NCAA Over Decision to Let Student Athletes Gamble on Professional Sports

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 Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, sent a letter to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker following the recent announcement that student athletes and athletic department staff will be allowed to bet on professional sports. KEY EXCERPTS: “The Committee on Energy and Commerce is examining the NCAA’s recent policy change permitting student athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports.” [...] To assist the Committee in its oversight, we request a briefing by no later than November 13, 2025, that addresses the following: Why is the NCAA changing its policy allowing student athletes to bet on professional sports? Has the NCAA conducted any studies, analyses, or reviews of the impact of gambling on student athletes? If so, what are the results? What role did they play in the NCAA’s decision to allow student athletes to bet on professional sports? How does this change allow the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to better protect the integrity of college games and encourage healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports? How is the NCAA engaging with athletic conferences, member institutions, and teams to address questions and concerns about this rule change? Amid recent allegations of illegal sports betting among student athletes and concerns expressed by member institutions, is NCAA reconsidering implementation of the policy? What guardrails are in place to prevent the type of illegal sports betting activity that is allegedly occurring in the NCAA and NBA, considering that some student athletes will go on to become professional athletes? Please provide details about any fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NCAA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NCAA players identified in recent infraction decisions; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above. Please describe the NCAA’s “layered integrity monitoring program,” for maintaining competition integrity and pursuing sports betting violations. What gaps, if any, are in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur in college sports? BACKGROUND: On October 24, 2025, the Committee on Energy and Commerce launched its investigation into sports fixing and illegal gambling after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) unsealed indictments of current and former NBA players and coaches. An initial announcement stated that, effective November 1, 2025, student athletes and athletic department staff in all three NCAA divisions would be permitted to bet on professional sports. A few days before the policy change was supposed to take effect, the Division I Board of Directors voted to delay implementation of the rule change across all three divisions to November 22, 2025. A recent NCAA press release stated that “enforcement staff has opened investigations into potential sports betting violations by approximately 30 current or former men's basketball student-athletes.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.