Activities of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

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Activities of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 1 117th CONGRESS " ! REPORT 1st Session SENATE 117–1 ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS R E P O R T OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE AND ITS SUBCOMMITTEES FOR THE ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS MARCH 1, 2021.—Ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 19–010 WASHINGTON : 2021 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS congress.#13 COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROB PORTMAN, Ohio MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona RAND PAUL, Kentucky JACKY ROSEN, Nevada JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma ALEX PADILLA, California MITT ROMNEY, Utah JON OSOFF, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri DAVID M. WEINBERG, Staff Director PAMELA THIESSEN, Minority Staff Director LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DURING THE 116TH CONGRESS RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman ROB PORTMAN, Ohio GARY C. PETERS, Michigan RAND PAUL, Kentucky THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire MITT ROMNEY, Utah KAMALA D. HARRIS, California RICK SCOTT, Florida KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming JACKY ROSEN, Nevada JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE 116TH CONGRESS PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS ROB PORTMAN, Ohio, Chairman RAND PAUL, Kentucky THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire MITT ROMNEY, Utah KAMALA D. HARRIS, California JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri JACKY ROSEN, Nevada FEDERAL SPENDING OVERSIGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RAND PAUL, Kentucky, Chairman RICK SCOTT, Florida MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming KAMALA D. HARRIS, California JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona (II) VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS REGULATORY AFFAIRS AND FEDERAL MANAGEMENT JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma, Chairman ROB PORTMAN, Ohio KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona MITT ROMNEY, Utah THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware RICK SCOTT, Florida JACKY ROSEN, Nevada MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming (III) VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS CONTENTS ---- Page I. Highlights of Activities .................................................................................. 1 A. Border and Immigration Security ....................................................... 2 B. Cybersecurity ........................................................................................ 5 C. Critical Infrastructure .......................................................................... 7 D. Terrorism .............................................................................................. 11 E. DHS Reforms and COVID–19 Response ............................................. 13 F. Oversight of Federal Agencies & Government Programs .................. 17 G. Reducing Waste, Fraud and Abuse ..................................................... 22 II. Committee Jurisdiction ................................................................................. 25 III. Bills and Resolutions Referred and Considered .......................................... 28 IV. Hearings ......................................................................................................... 28 V. Reports, Prints, and GAO Reports ............................................................... 43 VI. Official Communications ............................................................................... 60 VII. Legislative Actions ......................................................................................... 60 Measures Enacted Into Law ..................................................................... 61 Postal Naming Bills .................................................................................. 65 VIII. Activities of the Subcommittees ................................................................... 70 PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS (PSI) I. Historical Background ................................................................................... 70 A. Subcommittee Jurisdiction .................................................................. 70 B. Subcommittee Investigations ............................................................... 72 II. Subcommittee Hearings during the 116th Congress .................................. 78 III. Legislation Activities during the 116th Congress ....................................... 80 IV. Reports, Prints, and Studies ......................................................................... 82 V. GAO Reports .................................................................................................. 121 FEDERAL SPENDING OVERSIGHT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (FSO) I. Authority ........................................................................................................ 123 II. Activity ........................................................................................................... 123 III. Legislation ...................................................................................................... 129 IV. GAO Reports .................................................................................................. 132 REGULATORY AFFAIRS AND FEDERAL MANAGEMENT (RAFM) I. Authority ........................................................................................................ 135 II. Activity ........................................................................................................... 135 III. Legislation ...................................................................................................... 138 IV. GAO Reports .................................................................................................. 141 (V) VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS 117th CONGRESS SENATE REPORT " ! 1st Session 117–1 ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DURING THE 116TH CONGRESS MARCH 1, 2021—Ordered to be printed Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, submitted the following REPORT This report reviews the legislative and oversight activities of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and its Subcommittees during the 116th Congress. These activities were conducted pursuant to the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended; by Rule XXV(k) of the Standing Rules of the Senate; and by additional authorizing resolutions of the Senate. See Section II, ‘‘Committee Jurisdiction,’’ for details. Senator Ron Johnson was Chairman of the Committee during the 116th Congress; Senator Gary C. Peters was the Ranking Member. Major activities of the Committee during the 116th Congress in- cluded oversight and legislation involving border and immigration security; cybersecurity; protecting critical infrastructure; combat- ting terrorism; efficient functioning of the Department of Homeland Security, including oversight of COVID–19 pandemic preparedness and response; the Committee’s oversight of Federal programs; regu- latory reform; and reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Federal spending. Discussion of these major activities appears in Section I below; additional information on these and other measures appears in Section VII, ‘‘Legislative Actions.’’ Extensive information about the Committee’s history, hearings, legislation, documents, Subcommittees, and other matters is avail- able at the Web site, http://hsgac.senate.gov/. I. HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES In the 116th Congress, the Committee carried out its mission statement ‘‘to enhance the economic and national security of Amer- ica and promote more efficient, effective, and accountable govern- ment.’’ The Committee approved 104 bills, not including bills to name United States Post Offices, 51 of which were passed by the United States Senate, and 37 of which were ultimately signed into VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:16 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019010 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\SR001.XXX SR001 TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with SENATE REPORTS 2 law. The Committee also held 50 hearings and roundtables and confirmed 30 nominees. Priority areas for the Committee’s work are discussed below. A. BORDER AND IMMIGRATION SECURITY Legal loopholes continue to create an incentive for people to make the dangerous journey to the United States. This Congress, the Committee continued to lay out the reality of the challenges the nation faces securing the southwest border, and worked with Members of the Committee and the Department of Homeland Secu- rity (DHS, or the Department) to find bipartisan solutions to ad- dress the humanitarian crisis occurring along the southwest bor- der. Continuing the Committee’s emphasis on border security, the
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