RICHARD E .NEAL , KEVIN BRADY MASSACHUSETTS , Congress of the United States TEXAS , CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMBER
JOHN LEWIS , GEORGIA U . S . Houseof Representatives DEVIN NUNES , CALIFORNIA LLOYD DOGGETT , TEXAS VERN BUCHANAN , FLORIDA MIKE THOMPSON , CALIFORNIA ADRIAN SMITH , NEBRASKA JOHN B . LARSON , CONNECTICUT COMMITTEEON WAYS ANDMEANS KENNY MARCHANT, TEXAS EARL BLUMENAUER , OREGON TOM REED , NEW YORK RON KIND , WISCONSIN 1102 HOUSEOFFICE BUILDING MIKE KELLY, PENNSYLVANIA BILL PASCRELL JR ., NEW JERSEY GEORGE HOLDING , NORTH CAROLINA DANNY K DAVIS , ILLINOIS (202) 225 - 3625 JASON SMITH , MISSOURI LINDA T . , CALIFORNIA TOM RICE , SOUTH CAROLINA BRIAN HIGGINS , NEW YORK DC DAVID SCHWEIKERT , ARIZONA TERRI A SEWELL , ALABAMA Washington, 20515 JACKIE WALORSKI, INDIANA SUZAN DELBENE , WASHINGTON DARIN LAHOOD, ILLINOIS JUDY CHU , CALIFORNIA http ://waysandmeans.house. gov BRAD R .WENSTRUP , OHIO GWEN MOORE, WISCONSIN JODEY ARRINGTON , TEXAS DAN KILDEE , MICHIGAN DREW FERGUSON , GEORGIA BRENDAN BOYLE , PENNSYLVANIA RON ESTES , KANSAS DON BEYER , VIRGINIA DWIGHT EVANS , PENNSYLVANIA GARY ANDRES BRAD SCHNEIDER , ILLINOIS MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR TOM SUOZZI, NEW YORK JIMMY PANETTA , CALIFORNIA STEPHANIE MURPHY , FLORIDA JIMMYGOMEZ , CALIFORNIA STEVEN HORSFORD , NEVADA
BRANDON CASEY February 27, 2020 MAJORITY STAFF DIRECTOR
Christi A . Grimm Principal Deputy Inspector General U . S . Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General 330 Independence Avenue , SW Washington , D . C . 20201
DearPrincipalDeputy InspectorGeneralGrimm ,
Wewrite to request that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of InspectorGeneral assist the Committee on Ways and Means (Committee) in investigating HHS' actions concerning the deployment of HHS non -healthcare personnel to repatriate American . citizens potentially exposed to COVID - 19 outside of the United States
and Families Werecentlybecameaware thatpersonnelin the Administrationfor Children (ACF) were ordered to enter quarantined areas earlier this month to assist in the repatriation of American citizens evacuated from Wuhan. These ACF employees reportedly were notprovided contact with proper training, protocols, or personalprotective equipment and were in direct individualsin the quarantinedareas. Itis also allegedthat, post-deployment, these employeeshave not been tested for COVID -19, quarantined, or monitored for symptoms. In fact, HHS has continuedto deploy them to repatriation sites around the country, heightening concernsabout transmissionofthe virus. Additionally, thereare alarmingreportsthat leadershipdisregardedvalid concernsexpressedby ACF staffand retaliatedagainststaff thatraisedthose concerns.
The Committee wants to be assured that HHS is taking every step possible to protect its ensure that employees , and the American public , from exposure to COVID - 19. We also want to and is not HHS is seriously addressing employees ' concerns about their health and safety . Therefore , endeavoring intimidate , impede, or retaliate against employees who raise concerns we respectfully ask that you conduct an investigation into all aspects of the deployment of ACF personnel to quarantined areas, including, but not limited to , an examination of the following issues : Principal Deputy Inspector General Grimm February 27, 2020 Page 2
1. Who made the decision to deploy ACF personnelto quarantined areas? Please provide their namesand titles.
2 . Prior to deployment,were ACF personnelgiven propertraining, instructed on appropriate safety protocols and precautions, and provided adequatepersonalprotectiveequipment?
3 . Post-deployment, did HHS require ACF personnel to adhere to any safety protocols to limit the risk oftransmittingCOVID- 19 to others?
4 . Have ACF employeesdeployed to quarantined areas been tested for COVID- 19 and are they beingmonitored for symptomsofinfection ?
5 . Have other ACF staff (who, for example , may have comeinto close contact those employees) beenmonitored, quarantined, ortested forCOVID - 19 ?
6 . DoesHHSplan to deploy ACF staff to quarantined areasin the future ?
7. Were any ACF employees intimidated , impeded, or retaliated against for raising concerns about this program ?
We respectfully request that you report to the Committee on the status and findings of this investigation within one week . Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
The Honofable Richard E . Neal The Honorable JimmyGomez Chairman