Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

R

Iowa – District 1
representative

News & Announcements

Jan 22, 2026
Press Release

Environment Subcommittee Holds Hearing to Discuss Legislation to Modernize America’s Chemical Safety Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, led a hearing titled Chemicals in Commerce: Legislative Proposal to Modernize America’s Chemical Safety Law, Strengthen Critical Supply Chains, and Grow Domestic Manufacturing.

“The process for reviewing new chemicals – which was a significant focus of the 2016 effort – is broken. This regulatory uncertainty makes it difficult for the chemical industry to bring safer alternatives or new technology to the market in the U.S. and impacts human health and the environment by slowing the transition to safer alternatives,” said Chairman Palmer. “The bill would reauthorize the fee provision for another 10 years and require increased transparency and accountability in how fees are used by EPA.”

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

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Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “Dr. White, we've had this discussion and my colleagues have opened the door, but I want to give you an opportunity to speak to how provisions in this legislative proposal today will guide EPA to focus their consideration on conditions that reasonably could be foreseen, and not just theoretical or even unlikely, because I think we're opening up potential areas that will waste time to be able to allow important chemicals to be assessed. Can you discuss that for us, please?” Dr. White: “For every single chemical that the EPA has evaluated since TSCA was modernized, they have found it to be an unreasonable risk. This has really been because of their scientific practices and principles. They have ignored submitted data. They have mischaracterized worst case exposure scenarios and not understood what exposure actually looks like when they're making decisions. And they focused on conditions of use that were not relevant or that were not really going to provide or have a specific high level of exposure. So, this has led to really flawed assessments by the agency, leading to overly conservative risk management decisions by the agency. What this new approach does is it requires the agency to focus on those conditions of use that are more likely than not to occur. So, it really helps to, again, focus the agency on looking at actual real-world scenarios for how a chemistry might be used.”

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Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “For states like Iowa, where agriculture, manufacturing, including chemical manufacturing, and innovation are central to our economy, we need a regulatory system that protects human health and the environment without relying on duplicative regulation or unnecessary delays. This discussion draft refocuses TSCA on real world risk, best available science, and coordination with other federal and international regulators. It encourages safer innovation, strengthens domestic supply chains, and ensures EPA is accountable for its decisions while preserving strong protections for workers, consumers, and families.”

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Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08): “One of the processes that's used at EPA to manage and look at these chemicals and do cost benefit analysis is what's called a risk evaluation. In your experience, do EPA's risk evaluations and subsequent risk management rules provide health and safety benefits that are commensurate with the costs and burdens of the rules? And if not, what can we do to address that?” Dr. White: “EPA's risk evaluation process can be improved upon. It has a best available science and a way to vet the scientific evidence statute that it should be relying on. It has been missing the mark over the last several years. And so, there's really an opportunity to strengthen that, maintain that language.”

Jan 22, 2026
Press Release

Health Subcommittee Holds Health Insurance Company CEOs Accountable for Skyrocketing Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of Health Insurance Affordability, featuring witness testimony from the biggest health insurance plan CEOs in the United States. During the hearing, Committee Republicans held health insurance plans accountable in their role of increasing health care affordability challenges impacting all Americans and discuss how Democrat policy failures in Washington D.C. have warped the American health care system and hurt patients access to high-quality health coverage options.

“Many patients have fewer plan choices than they did before Obamacare was enacted. Therefore, Obamacare coverage is not translating to patient or taxpayer affordability,” said Chairman Griffith. “We owe it to patients to have a health system that offers real choices, transparent prices, and coverage that fits their needs, and I look forward to seeing how today’s conversation presents solutions to make health care more affordable for all Americans.”

Watch the full hearing ** here **.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

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Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02): “Experts, including the Congressional Budget Office, estimated that the expiration of the temporary Obamacare enhanced COVID Credit is projected to increase premiums by anywhere from 4 percent and 8 percent, depending on the market. Yet, many areas for 2026, insurers requested and were approved for premium increases of 30 percent, 40 percent, even 50 percent. So, Mrs. Boudreaux, you’re in Kentucky. The average Elevance Obamacare plan increased its premium by roughly 24 percent. Despite what Democrats would have the American people believe, the temporary COVID Credit does little to actually lower underlying Obamacare premiums and the American taxpayers are footing the bill. So, Mrs. Boudreaux, by your best estimation—even if the Democrats’ temporary COVID Credits were extended—would Obamacare plan bids in my state of Kentucky increase or decrease between 2026 and 2025?” Mrs. Boudreaux: “Well, thank you very much for the question, Congressman. You know, as we’ve shared, premiums reflect the underlying costs...” Chairman Guthrie: “So, they would have increased, right?”

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Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “Since the passage of the ACA, we have seen costs across all markets continue to increase. One of the key issues driving this is the medical loss ratio, or the MLR, that requires plans to spend either 80 percent or 85 percent of your premium dollars on health care expenses. The MLR created multiple perverse incentives for insurance companies to dramatically consolidate both vertically and horizontally. The companies that you lead today are not just involved in insurance. You own PBMs, you own specialty pharmacies, you own retail pharmacies, you own GPOs, you own physician groups and practices. In some cases, you own hospitals, and you own drug manufacturing companies. And at least one of you owns a bank! This has led to alleged cases of self-dealing, as your companies work to circumvent the [multi-level marketing] requirements.”

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Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “The largest PBMs—CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum—have created rebate contracting entities, or PBM group purchasing organizations, which are adding to the complex and opaque nature of the medicine supply chain. My first PBM reform bill on transparency was in 2019, as an Iowa state senator. PBMs claim these entities provide them and their clients with greater bargaining power to lower costs, but recent investigations by Members of Congress, industry experts, state attorneys general, and federal oversight agencies suggest the opposite may be true. We have a graph up here. Let’s start with the left. The drugmaker pays rebates directly to the PBMs and PBM GPOs to ensure their drugs are included on their health plan formularies—meaning the drugs are covered by insurance. Then, these PBMs and their PBM GPO subsidiaries collect the rebates, which they promise to pass through to their patients and health plans. Can any of you tell me what percentage of rebates are passed through to the patient, who is paying a higher drug cost because the rebates are added to the price of the drug?” Top Health Insurers: “...” Congresswoman Miller-Meeks: “Is it zero?” Top Health Insurers: “...” Congresswoman Miller-Meeks: “You don’t even know that you’re not giving these patients back a rebate for paying higher drug prices.”

Jan 8, 2026
Health

Health Subcommittee Holds Legislative Hearing on Improving Medicare Payment Policies for Seniors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.

“As our population ages, it is critical that Medicare policies keep pace with patient needs. Today’s hearing highlighted legislation that works to improve patient access in Medicare,” said Chairman Griffith. “Ensuring beneficiaries can obtain timely, cost-effective services is essential to fulfilling Medicare’s promise.”

Watch the full hearing here .

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

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Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13): “H.R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025, is commonsense legislation. It would give greater access to Medicare beneficiaries to titanium and to carbon fiber wheelchairs. There is one key word in this legislation, and that is choice. This bill allows Medicare patients the opportunity to decide whether a titanium or a carbon fiber wheelchair is the right choice for them, and if it is, patients with Medicare B have the ability to pay out of pocket for wheelchair upgrades if they so choose.”

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Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “As a physician and nurse, I have seen firsthand how critical timely access to oxygen equipment, mobility devices, and home medical supplies are to keep patients healthy and out of hospitals. When access to these services is disrupted, patient outcomes suffer, and costs to the health care system increase. That is why I introduced H.R. 2005, the DMEPOS Relief Act of 2025. DMEPOS suppliers, particularly small independent providers and those serving rural communities, are under growing financial pressure due to inflation, workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, and Medicare reimbursement rates that have not kept pace with real-world costs. In many cases, suppliers are being forced to limit services or exit the Medicare program altogether, leaving beneficiaries with fewer options and longer wait times.”

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Congressman Tom Kean (NJ-07): “I appreciate this Committee’s efforts to educate all of us on legislation that could help our seniors who rely on Medicare. I support H.R. 5269, the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Services (RESULTS) Act of 2025, that’s been introduced by my colleague from North Carolina, Representative Hudson. This bill would make vital reforms to Medicare’s clinical lab fee schedule, which pays for lab tests New Jersey seniors rely on for routine care and for diagnosis of more complex conditions like cancer. In New Jersey, there were over 2,300 laboratories. In my district, there are over 200. Ms. Van Meter, can you articulate the urgency of reform needed for Medicare’s clinical lab fee schedule?” Ms. Susan Van Meter: “On January 31, about 800 tests will get cut by up to 15 percent. The cuts are going to hit tests that are among the most routine that Medicare beneficiaries rely on every day. Those kinds of reductions will have an impact on beneficiary access to services. It will also stifle innovation in the next generation of diagnostics those same patients need and deserve.”

Letters

Oct 7, 2024
Letter

Chair Rodgers Leads House GOP in Demanding Answers Over FCC Fast-Tracking Democrat Mega-Donor’s Media Takeover Weeks Before Election

Soros-linked fund to acquire more than 200 local radio stations weeks before election Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led 40 of her Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding her recent decision to fast-track a media deal allowing the Fund for Policy Reform, a group aligned with Democratic mega-donor George Soros, to buy over 200 radio stations just weeks before the 2024 election. With a party line vote of 3-2, the decision at the Commission level by the Democratic members of the FCC to temporarily waive the required national security review and allow excessive foreign ownership of American radio stations is deeply disturbing. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “It is highly concerning that the FCC did not follow regular order for a transaction of this magnitude. Licensees and investors need certainty that the FCC will follow its rules and procedures when approving transactions so that the broadcast industry can have the resources it needs to continue serving the public.”  BACKGROUND: Audacy, Inc., a radio broadcasting group, which owns more than 200 radio-station licenses, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.  Audacy’s filings revealed that a George Soros-backed group known as the Fund for Policy Reform had acquired at least 40 percent of Audacy’s debt.   Audacy estimated that, upon emerging from bankruptcy, 25 percent or more of its stock would be indirectly foreign owned, which triggers FCC review.   This review process requires national security agencies to review the transaction and offer any policy or national security concerns.   On September 30, 2024, the FCC released an Order granting a temporary waiver of this review process, delaying a national security review until after the bankruptcy process is complete and allowing foreign control of a significant number of radio stations across the entire United States, weeks before a national election. CLICK HERE to read Breitbart's exclusive coverage. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

May 14, 2024
Letter

E&C Republican Leaders Press Biden EPA for Answers About Grants Awarded to Political Allies

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Reagan, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Chair Buddy Carter (R-GA), on behalf of the Oversight and Environment Subcommittee Republicans, are pressing for answers about the recently-awarded Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants.  KEY LETTER EXCERPTS :  “As you know, the Committee has questioned how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) planned to distribute the $20 billion available to selected recipients under the new GGRF program, including the $14 billion for the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF). Specifically, the Committee cited warnings that the EPA could use these large awards to subsidize favored organizations. At a January 30, 2024, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing, Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers highlighted examples of former Biden administration officials and Democratic campaign staff in leadership roles of organizations vying for NCIF funding. Predictably, the EPA’s April 4, 2024, announcement of NCIF recipients confirmed our fears that this program would funnel taxpayer dollars to political allies.” [...] “Other individuals with ties to Democratic politics also lead organizations partnering with these recipients. While the EPA insists it had ethics rules and a fair competition policy in place, doling out billions of dollars to organizations led by politically connected individuals undermines public trust in the legitimacy of the federal financial awards process. It also furthers the concern that this program was created as an excuse to hand out funding to political allies.” The Chairs cited more than a dozen examples of politically connected leaders of organizations to which EPA plans to distribute billions of taxpayer dollars, and have requested a list of all of the nearly two dozen stakeholder meetings the EPA held in designing the program, including the dates, names of the individuals and organizations participating as well as any related minutes or memoranda by May 28, 2024. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. 

May 9, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans to HHS Secretary: What Law Requires You to Hide Sexual Abusers?

Secretary Becerra’s Extreme Legal Position Prioritizes Protecting Substantiated Abusers Over Victims Washington, D.C. — In a new letter , House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Representative August Pfluger (R-TX) asked Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to provide the Committee with the legal basis requiring HHS to redact or hide the names of researchers determined to have committed sexual misconduct.  The letter comes following Secretary Becerra’s appearance before the Subcommittee on Health during which he claimed he could not release the names of individuals determined to have committed sexual harassment to Congress because of legal prohibitions. The Members requested that Secretary Becerra provide the Committee with the legal basis for HHS’s decision to redact the names of abusers who have substantiated findings of sexual harassment or abuse by April 30, 2024.  CLICK HERE to read the letter.  BACKGROUND :  The Committee first launched an investigation into the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) handling of sexual harassment at grantee institutions in August 2021.   In October 2023, the Committee expanded its inquiry to include complaints involving NIH scientists.   After NIH’s failure to comply, Chair Rodgers subpoenaed NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli to produce documents in February of 2024.  Later that month, HHS responded on behalf of NIH to offer a rolling in camera document review to the Committee. Documents presented in the review have been highly redacted, including the redaction of the names of individuals convicted of criminal offenses, public news articles about individuals who have been found guilty of harassment, and redaction of the names of the institutions where the abuse occurred—preventing the Committee from understanding if NIH continues to fund work performed by substantiated abusers at other institutions—a practice known as “pass the harasser.”  FULL TIMELINE :  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 Subpoecana   February 5, 2024 : Chair Rodgers Subpoenas NIH for Documents Related to Investigation into Sexual Harassment at NIH and NIH Grantee Institutions  February 20, 2024: HHS Responds on behalf of NIH to offer a rolling in camera document review to the Committee. Documents produced in the review have been highly redacted, including the redaction of the names of individuals convicted of criminal offenses, public news articles about individuals who have been found guilty of harassment, and redaction of the names of the institutions where the abuse occurred—effectively preventing the Committee from understanding if NIH continues to fund work performed by substantiated abusers at other institutions—a practice known as “pass the harasser.”  April 16, 2024 : E&C Republicans Expand Investigation into Sexual Harassment at NIH to now Include Review of HHS Office of Civil Rights Compliance Role  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 .