Union Calendar No. 603
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Union Calendar No. 603 110TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 110–930 ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS 2007–2008 Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/ index.html http://www.house.gov/reform JANUARY 2, 2009.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6012 Sfmt 6012 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS congress.#13 ACTIVITIES REPORT OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6019 Sfmt 6019 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS with PROD1PC64 on smartinez 1 Union Calendar No. 603 110TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 110–930 ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS 2007–2008 Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/ index.html http://www.house.gov/reform JANUARY 2, 2009.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 46–108 WASHINGTON : 2009 VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS congress.#13 COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM HENRY A. WAXMAN, California, Chairman EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York TOM DAVIS, Virginia PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania DAN BURTON, Indiana CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio JOHN L. MICA, Florida DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri CHRIS CANNON, Utah DIANE E. WATSON, California JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio BRIAN HIGGINS, New York DARRELL E. ISSA, California JOHN A. YARMUTH, Kentucky KENNY MARCHANT, Texas BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa LYNN A. WESTMORELAND, Georgia ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of PATRICK T. MCHENRY, North Carolina Columbia VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California JIM COOPER, Tennessee BILL SALI, Idaho CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland JIM JORDAN, Ohio PAUL W. HODES, New Hampshire CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut JOHN P. SARBANES, Maryland PETER WELCH, Vermont JACKIE SPEIER, California PHIL BARNETT, Staff Director EARLEY GREEN, Chief Clerk LAWRENCE HALLORAN, Minority Staff Director (II) VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, DC, January 2, 2009. Hon. NANCY PELOSI, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. DEAR MS. SPEAKER: By direction of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I submit herewith the committee’s activi- ties report for the 110th Congress. HENRY A. WAXMAN, Chairman. (III) VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS C O N T E N T S Page Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 I. Oversight Accomplishments ............................................................................ 2 II. Legislative Accomplishments ........................................................................... 10 III. Full Committee Proceedings ............................................................................ 33 IV. Subcommittee Activities ................................................................................... 52 A. Domestic Policy .................................................................................... 52 B. Federal Workforce ................................................................................ 81 C. Government Management ................................................................... 95 D. Information Policy ............................................................................... 110 E. National Security and Foreign Affairs ............................................... 123 (V) VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0483 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0483 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS Union Calendar No. 603 110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 110–930 ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM JANUARY 2, 2009.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. HENRY A. WAXMAN, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, submitted the following REPORT ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, 110TH CONGRESS, 1ST AND 2D SESSIONS, 2007 AND 2008 INTRODUCTION During the 110th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held 203 oversight hearings and reported or discharged 372 bills and resolutions to the House for consideration. Significant reforms involving federal procurement practices, open government, and the independence of Inspectors General were en- acted into law. Major investigations included examination of waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq reconstruction and other government contracting; the activities of Blackwater and other private security contractors; the politicization of science in federal agencies; White House mis- management of federal records; the Wall Street financial crisis and CEO compensation; the high cost of prescription drugs; formalde- hyde levels in FEMA trailers; the treatment of wounded returning soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and misleading vet- erans’ charities. Other investigations examined the disclosure of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson’s identity, the fratricide of Army Ranger Patrick Tillman, and the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:57 Jan 03, 2009 Jkt 046108 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR930.XXX HR930 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS 2 In the 110th Congress, the Committee Chair was Henry A. Wax- man and the Ranking Member was Tom Davis. To carry out its du- ties as effectively as possible, the Committee at the beginning of the 110th Congress established the following five standing sub- committees: Subcommittee on Domestic Policy; Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia; Subcommittee on Government Management, Organizations, and Procurement; Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives; and Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs. This report describes the Committee’s major oversight and legis- lative accomplishments, provides a chronological summary of Com- mittee proceedings, and summarizes activities of the Subcommit- tees during the 110th Congress. I. OVERSIGHT ACCOMPLISHMENTS Pursuant to Rule X, Clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House, the Committee on Oversight adopted an oversight plan at the com- mencement of the 110th Congress consisting of topics designated for investigation, evaluation, and review by the Committee. The topics were selected by Chairman Henry A. Waxman, in consulta- tion with the Ranking Minority Member, Rep. Tom Davis, other members of this Committee, and other Committees. The plan highlighted intended subjects of oversight, including: • Agriculture, including policies regarding the safety of our food supply; • Energy and environment, including governmental and non- governmental activities and policies relating to global warm- ing, the extent to which government agencies responsible for public health and environmental protection are fulfilling their responsibilities, and the nation’s ability to develop a sustain- able energy sector; • Government contracting, including the causes and effects of the recent increase in procurement, the importance of safe- guards like competition from the procurement process, and shortfalls in the acquisition workforce; • Healthcare, including alleged waste, fraud, and abuse in the nation’s healthcare system; federal policies and programs that aim to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, as well as those re- lated to reproductive health; and the extent to which govern- ment health programs are driven by sound scientific evidence rather than political considerations; • Homeland security, including alleged procurement abuses at the Department of Homeland Security, and how effectively DoD, DHS, and state governors work together to promote secu- rity; • Federal emergency management, including government ac- tivities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; • Iraq reconstruction and troop support, including allega- tions of waste, fraud, and abuse in the use of private contrac- tors conducting reconstruction and troop support activities; and, among other topics, • The White House, including the efficiency and effective- ness of operations of the Executive Office of