Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of November 18, 2024

Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:

Appropriations

On Tuesday, November 19, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing called "National Institutes of Health (NIH)." Healthy citizens are a vital aspect of a healthy country. Appropriators on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee pressed the National Institutes of Health Director, Monica Bertagnolli, on the agency’s ability to conduct reliable widespread clinical studies, produce nonpartisan data, and their role in ensuring taxpayer dollars are going to their intended purposes. Many Members discussed the loss of public trust, highlighting the agency’s urgent need to rebuild it.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a hearing called "Investigating the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women." Indigenous women and girls face a murder rate that is ten times higher than the national average. In response, Members of the Interior and Environment Subcommittee invited Tribal witnesses to discuss ways to counter these jarring statistics. The first panel featured Native women who are at the forefront of advocating for change and raising awareness of their community's struggles. The second panel included Tribal leaders who outlined strategies for how Appropriators can directly contribute to finding solutions. In a unified, bipartisan effort, Members committed to bringing much-needed attention and resources to address this urgent and heartbreaking issue.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held an oversight hearing called "Assessing the Veterans Health Administration Fiscal Year 2025 Potential Shortfall." Due to repeated, avoidable budgeting errors at the Biden-Harris Department of Veterans Affairs, Appropriators questioned the agency’s budgeting practices. Lawmakers focused on understanding the agency’s budgeting process, expressing concerns about how Congress can trust future projections, and inquiring about the steps the agency plans to take to restore the trust of the veterans it serves.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing called "Social Security Administration (SSA)." The Commissioner of the Social Security Administration responded to questions from Subcommittee Members, addressing concerns about employee overtime and paid leave policies. Lawmakers also raised issues regarding the agency’s poor customer service ratings, its struggles with modernization, the challenges of recalling employees back to the office, and delays in processing customer claims within a reasonable timeframe.

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Financial Services

On Friday, November 15, in advance of a hearing with prudential regulators, including Chairman Gruenberg, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga (MI-04) and Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy Subcommittee Chairman Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced H.Res. 1574, a measure calling for Chairman Gruenberg’s immediate removal. The resolution is co-sponsored by all Committee Republicans.
 

 
On Tuesday, November 19, House Financial Services Committee Republicans released their final staff report detailing the toxic workplace culture, including misconduct and harassment, at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) under the failed leadership of disgraced Chairman Martin Gruenberg. This report is the culmination of Committee Republicans’ year-long investigation and supports the numerous calls for Chairman Gruenberg to resign or be removed immediately. 
 
On Tuesday, November 19, the bipartisan Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act, introduced in the House by Chairman McHenry (R-NC) and led in the Senate by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), passed the Senate. The legislation now goes to the president to be signed into law. The bill would instruct the U.S. Mint to develop a commemorative coin series honoring the critical role working dogs play in our society, while providing financial support to help raise and train service dogs for veterans.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Financial Services Committee, led by Chairman McHenry, held a full committee hearing to conduct oversight of President Biden’s prudential regulators. Republicans held Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman Martin Gruenberg accountable for his continued efforts to stonewall Congressional oversight amid a staff report confirming allegations of a toxic workplace culture at the agency under his watch. Members also closely scrutinized other partisan regulatory initiatives pushed by President Biden’s federal banking regulators including the disastrous Basel III Endgame proposal.

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Foreign Affairs

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations held a hearing called "Meeting the Challenges of Global Brain Health: Diagnosis and Treatment for the 21st Century."

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Homeland Security
 
On Tuesday, November 19, the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a hearing entitled “Impacts of Emergency Authority Cybersecurity Regulations on the Transportation Sector.” Witnesses from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Government Accountability Office, Association of American Railroads, and American Gas Association provided testimony about how TSA manages cybersecurity risks within the transportation sector, particularly following the recent release of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking affecting cybersecurity practices in rail, pipeline, and bus transportation.
On Tuesday, November 19, the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Accountability, and Investigations held a joint hearing entitled “Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing: Migrant Children Victims of the Biden-Harris Administration.” Members heard shocking testimony from witnesses, including HHS whistleblower Tara Rodas, on the Biden-Harris administration’s deeply flawed, inadequate process by which HHS places unaccompanied alien children with unvetted and potentially dangerous “sponsors” around the country.

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Judiciary

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement held a hearing called "Oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement" to examine the agency's failures, including fast-tracking the release of gang-affiliated and criminal unaccompanied alien children (UACs), such as the murderers of Kayla Hamilton and Maria Gonzalez. The hearing also examined the agency's prioritization of speed over safety in the placement of UACs with sponsors, resulting in HHS losing track of an estimated 150,000 UACs since January 20, 2021.

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Natural Resources

On Tuesday, November 19, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 6441, the Ranching Without Red Tape Act of 2023 (Vasquez)
• H.R. 7666, To require the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a strategy to increase opportunities to utilize livestock grazing as a means of wildfire risk reduction (LaMalfa)
• H.R. 8182, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act (Scott)
• H.R. 8517, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act (Gosar)
• H.R. 9062, the Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Program Act (Curtis)
• H.R. 9165, the Public Land Search and Rescue Act (Maloy)
• H.R. 9528, To redesignate certain facilities at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Pallone)
• H.R. 10082, the Oregon Owyhee Wilderness and Community Protection Act (Bentz)
• H.R. 10084, the Renewing the African American Civil Rights Network Act (Clyburn)

These bills offered solutions to increase grazing flexibility in the West, reduce the federal estate, promote domestic energy production, support law enforcement, create a new national park in Georgia and more. Additionally, Rep. LaMalfa’s H.R. 7666 would expand proactive grazing to lower wildfire risk, which is reflected in Chairman Westerman’s Fix Our Forests Act that recently passed the House.

On Tuesday, November 19, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 7662, the Critical Minerals Security Act of 2024 (Houlahan)
• H.R. 7807, the Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act (Obernolte)
• H.R. 8952, the Crow Revenue Act (Zinke)
• H.R. 10005, the Expedited Appeals Review Act (Hageman)

This legislative hearing was on bills that would support the development of domestic materials, support quicker timelines in the land appeals process and would facilitate a land transfer for the Crow Tribe of Montana.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a full committee markup on the following bills:

• H.R. 390, the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Enhancement Act (Stefanik)
• H.R. 1395, the Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2023 (Fitzpatrick)
• H.R. 1584, the Plum Island National Monument Act (LaLota)
• H.R. 2685, the Technology Grants to Strengthen Domestic Mining Education Act of 2023 or the Mining Schools Act of 2023 (Owens)
• H.R. 2687, To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to exclude certain payments to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives or descendants of Alaska Natives from being used to determine eligibility for certain programs, and for other purposes (Peltola)
• H.R. 3047, the Apache County and Navajo County Conveyance Act of 2023 (Crane)
• H.R. 3173, the Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act of 2023 (Amodei)
• H.R. 3971, the Flatside Wilderness Additions Act (Hill)
• H.R. 4338, the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act (LaHood)
• H.R. 4748, the Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act (Peltola)
• H.R. 5401, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act (D’Esposito)
• H.R. 6127, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act or the MAPWaters Act (Moore)
• H.R. 6210, To designate the General George C. Marshall House, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes (Wexton)
• H.R. 6489, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2023 (Peltola)
• H.R. 6994, the Restoring Our Unopened Trails for Enjoyment and Safety Act or the ROUTES Act (Kim)
• H.R. 7516, the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2024 (Johnson)
• H.R. 7938, the Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act of 2024 (Bentz)
• H.R. 8012, the Jackie Robinson Commemorative Site Act (Waltz)
• H.R. 8308, the Nutria Eradication and Control Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Harder)
• H.R. 8665, the Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act (Lucas)
• H.R. 8931, To redesignate Saratoga National Historical Park as Saratoga National Battlefield Park (Stefanik)
• H.R. 8946, the Reversionary Interest Conveyance Act (Matsui)
• H.R. 9516, the Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act (Chavez-DeRemer)

The House Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported 23 bills that will return land management to local communities, honor our nation’s heroes through expanding access to the land they fought and died to protect, increase energy and mineral security and promote active forest management. These bills also center on expanding boundaries of areas like the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and reauthorizing common sense legislation like the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 7642, To reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act of 1994 (Scholten)
• H.R. 9514, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (Boebert)
• H.R. 9515, the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2024 (Calvert)
• H.R. 9969, To provide for a memorandum of understanding to address the impacts of a certain record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund (Hageman)

The four bills in this hearing are focused on western water infrastructure and the Jr. Duck Stamp Conservation and Design program. 

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Oversight and Accountability

On Tuesday, November 19, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee hearing called "Oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency." During the hearing, members emphasized FEMA’s responsibility to use taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively. They questioned FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell about the agency’s ongoing efforts to deliver assistance to Americans impacted by recent storms, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Following reports that at least one FEMA official engaged in political discrimination against supporters of President Donald Trump, members raised concerns about political bias within the agency and the broader impact of an unelected, unchecked federal workforce. The Oversight Committee remains committed to ensuring FEMA fulfills its mission of delivering aid promptly and plans to work with the incoming Trump Administration to hold poor performers and rogue federal employees accountable.
 

On Wednesday, November 20, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a full committee markup and passed the following legislation:

• H.R. 10133, the Timely Stock Disclosure Act (Burchett)
• H.R. 10132, the Federal Agency Performance Act of 2024 (Timmons)
• H.R. 10155, the Financial Management Risk Reduction Act (Greene)
• H.R. 9040, the Taxpayer Exposure Risk Reduction Act (Donalds)
• H.R. 10062, the Freedom to Petition the Government Act (Biggs)
• H.R. 8690, the Stop Secret Spending Act of 2024 (Moore)
• H.R. ____, the Modernizing Data Practices to Improve Government Act
• H.R. 8706, the Dismantle DEI Act of 2024 (Cloud)
• H.R. 8753, To direct the United States Postal Service to designate single, unique ZIP Codes for certain communities, and for other purposes (Boebert)
• Several postal naming measures.

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Rules

On Monday, November 18, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:

• H.R. 1449, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act (Fulcher)
• H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act (Tenney)

This week the Rules Committee considered two measures, H.R. 1449, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act and H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. HR. 1449 would address geothermal leasing and permitting issues by amending the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to require the Secretary of the Interior to hold lease sales annually for geothermal energy. By adding deadlines and providing contingencies to the geothermal lease sale process, this bill will lower energy costs for Americans, boost U.S. Energy independence, and create jobs. H.R. 9495 will build on our anti-terror financing efforts by prohibiting organizations from maintaining tax-exempt status if they are found to have provided material support or resources to a terrorist or terrorist-supporting organization within a three-year period.

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Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party

On Wednesday, November 20, members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party participated in a bipartisan, interactive simulation run by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the state of the U.S. Defense Industrial Base.

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Transportation and Infrastructure

On Tuesday, November 19, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management held a hearing with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell to discuss the Agency’s response to recent natural disasters, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Members questioned Administrator Criswell about the slow response times to rural areas of the country and the amount of FEMA funding and resources dedicated to addressing the illegal migrant crisis at the Southern Border compared to the funds available for Americans impacted by impacted disasters.
 
Additionally, Members demanded answers regarding the recent reports that FEMA supervisors provided guidance encouraging employees to avoid disaster victims’ homes that displayed Trump campaign signs or flags.

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Veterans Affairs

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization held an oversight hearing titled “VA Cybersecurity: Protecting Veteran Data from Evolving Threats.” During the hearing, subcommittee members examined the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) cybersecurity in light of recent audits by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the MITRE Corporation. Chairman Rosendale questioned VA Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene about the reports’ findings that VA has significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities, some of which repeat year after year, and has made only limited progress remediating them. Mr. DelBene explained why he disputed many of the OIG and MITRE’s findings, principally that his risk-based cybersecurity approach is superior to their compliance-based approach. MITRE’s witness, Mr. David Power, argued that VA has no consistent cyber-risk management strategy. OIG’s witness, Mr. Michael Bowman, defended his recommendations. Representative Self pressed Mr. DelBene on how VA supervises its contractors’ handling of veterans’ data. Rep. Self and Rep. Luttrell questioned whether VA is demonstrating results from its cybersecurity budget. Finally, Chairman Rosendale agreed with the importance of the “Zero-Trust” cybersecurity defense that VA is pursuing, but emphasized that VA must demonstrate tangible improvements along the way, and that Zero-Trust cannot become a perpetual-motion machine producing an unending flow of taxpayer dollars to contractors.

On Wednesday, November 20, the Subcommittee on Health held an oversight hearing titled “Life After Limb Loss: Examining VA Amputee Prosthetics Care.” The hearing heard testimony from Dr. Michael Saslo, Chief of Prosthetics and Sensory Aids at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Matthew Brown, a U.S. Army veteran and amputee; Mr. Jose Ramos from Wounded Warrior Project; and Ashlie White with Amputee Coalition. The hearing examined delays in prosthetic care, barriers to advanced prosthetic technologies, and their impact on veterans’ mobility, independence, and quality of life. Testimony highlighted the unique challenges faced by Post-9/11 amputees, who often require specialized prosthetics to maintain active lifestyles and pursue their careers and family responsibilities. Mr. Brown, described his two-year struggle to receive a properly fitting prosthetic socket, calling the process demoralizing and overly bureaucratic. Mr. Ramos, an amputee himself, testified that he’s tried to work with VA for his prosthetic care but ultimately found it inadequate. He shared, "My care is better when left to DoD,” explaining that he is planning to return to Walter Reed for prosthetic services because the care provided by VA isn’t quality or timely. Chairwoman Miller-Meeks emphasized the critical importance of her legislation, H.R. 9478, the Veterans SPORT Act, which would expand access to adaptive prosthetics and recreational equipment for veterans. She stressed that VA must prioritize timely and effective prosthetic care to support veterans, particularly Post-9/11 amputees, in living full and independent lives. The hearing underscored the need for comprehensive reforms to VA’s prosthetic care system, ensuring veterans have access to the care and devices they need to thrive.