Union Calendar No. 543
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1 Union Calendar No. 543 112TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 112–740 ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JANUARY 2013 (Pursuant to House Rule XI, 1(d)(1)) Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov http://www.house.gov./reform JANUARY 1, 2013.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 29–006 WASHINGTON : 2013 VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with E:\Seals\Congress.#13 COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM DARRELL E. ISSA, California, Chairman DAN BURTON, Indiana ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland, Ranking JOHN L. MICA, Florida Minority Member TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York PATRICK T. MCHENRY, North Carolina ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of JIM JORDAN, Ohio Columbia JASON CHAFFETZ, Utah DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio CONNIE MACK, Florida JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts TIM WALBERG, Michigan WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts JUSTIN AMASH, Michigan JIM COOPER, Tennessee ANN MARIE BUERKLE, New York GERALD E. CONNNOLLY, Virginia PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona MIKE QUIGLEY, Illinois RAU´ L R. LABRADOR, Idaho DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois PATRICK MEEHAN, Pennsylvania BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa SCOTT DESJARLAIS, Tennessee PETER WELCH, Vermont JOE WALSH, Illinois JOHN A. YARMUTH, Kentucky TREY GOWDY, South Carolina CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut DENNIS A. ROSS, Florida JACKIE SPEIER, California BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas MIKE KELLY, Pennsylvania LAWRENCE J. BRADY, Staff Director JOHN D. CUADERES, Deputy Staff Director ROBERT BORDEN, General Counsel LINDA A. GOOD, Chief Clerk DAVID RAPALLO, Minority Staff Director (II) VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, Washington, DC, January 1, 2013. Hon. JOHN A. BOEHNER, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. DEAR MR. SPEAKER: In accordance with Rule XI(1)(d)(1) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully submit the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s fourth semi- annual activities report for the 112th Congress. Sincerely, DARRELL ISSA, Chairman. (III) VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with C O N T E N T S Page I. Legislation Activities ........................................................................................ 2 II. Oversight Activities .......................................................................................... 32 III. Summary of Committee Oversight Plan ......................................................... 69 IV. Summary of Actions Taken and Recommendations Made with Respect to the Oversight Plan ................................................................................... 71 V. Summary of Any Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken, and Any Recommendations Made or Actions Taken Thereon .................................. 103 VI. Delineation of any Hearings Held Pursuant to Clauses 2 (n), (o), or (p) ................................................................................................................... 107 (V) VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with Union Calendar No. 543 112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 112–740 ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM JANUARY 1, 2013.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. DARRELL E. ISSA, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, submitted the following R E P O R T ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, 112TH CONGRESS, 2D SESSION, JANUARY 2013 FOURTH SEMIANNUAL ACTIVITIES REPORT The number one priority of this Congress was to foster private sector job creation and get Americans back to work. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is uniquely positioned to conduct a broad-based, economy-wide exam- ination of the barriers that stand in the way of job growth and eco- nomic recovery. In his 2011 State of the Union Address, the Presi- dent called for a government-wide examination of regulations, to ‘‘help our companies compete’’ and to ‘‘knock down barriers that stand in the way of their success.’’ During the 112th Congress, the Committee held numerous hear- ings, including those at both the full committee and the sub- committee levels, to examine how the rules proposed and imple- mented by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, the Department of Labor, and the General Services Ad- ministration, among others, have hurt job creation. The Full Com- mittee has advanced the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, as well as the Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012, and a moratorium on ‘‘Midnight Rules’’ or major rules offered by a lame duck presi- dent. Private sector economic growth is not only held back by regu- latory barriers standing in the way of small, medium-sized, and large businesses, but also by the uncertainty surrounding our na- VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with 2 tion’s skyrocketing debt. The Committee’s unique position to over- see all federal government agencies and functions, as well as our role in crafting federal workforce and government management leg- islation, gave us the opportunity to promote private sector economic growth by reducing fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in govern- ment spending, and improving government performance. During the 112th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held 199 oversight hearings and reported 74 bills and resolutions to the House for consideration, including the restoration of the successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Pro- gram, bills dealing with tax accountability for federal employees and contractors, transparency of grants, protecting whistleblowers, reducing the size of the federal workforce through attrition, mod- ernizing the Federal Information Security Management Act, and reforming the United States Postal Service. The Digital Account- ability and Transparency Act, a bipartisan transparency spending bill sponsored by the Chairman and Ranking Member and reported by the Committee, was adopted by the House of Representatives on a unanimous voice vote in April 2012. To carry out its duties most effectively, the Committee estab- lished seven standing subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy; the Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Manage- ment; the Subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives; the Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations; the Sub- committee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Govern- ment Spending; the Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs; and the Sub- committee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform. I. LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES BILLS ENACTED INTO LAW H.R. 1308, to amend the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act to extend the termination date for the Commission, and for other purposes. Introduced by Rep. Elton Gallegly on April 1, 2011, passed the House on May 12, 2011, and became Public Law 112– 13. H.R. 1905, the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012. Introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on May 13, 2011, passed House on August 1, 2012, and became Public Law 1905. H.R. 2061, Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011. Introduced by Rep. Richard Hanna on May 31, 2011, passed the House on No- vember 2, 2011, and became Public Law 112–73. H.R. 2297, to promote the development of the Southwest water- front in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. Intro- duced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton on June 22, 2011. History: Marked up by the Committee on November 3, 2011, ordered favor- ably reported to the House by voice vote; and passed in the House on December 6, 2011, as amended by voice vote. Became Public Law 112–143. VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:28 Jan 11, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR740.XXX HR740 tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with 3 H.R. 3237, the SOAR Technical Corrections Act. Introduced by Rep. Trey Gowdy on October 18, 2011, passed the House on Decem- ber 6, 2011, and became Public Law 112–92. H.R. 3902, District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act. In- troduced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton on February 6, 2012. His- tory: Marked up by the Committee on February 7, 2012, ordered reported favorably by voice vote; and passed by the House on Feb- ruary 29, 2012, by voice vote. Passed the House on February 29, 2012, and became Public Law 112–145. H.R. 4155, the Veterans Skills to Jobs Act. Introduced by Rep. Jeff Denham on March 7, 2012. History: Marked up by the Com- mittee on June 27, 2012 and passed by voice vote (amended); passed the House on July 9, 2012, by a vote of 369–0, and became Public Law 112–147. H.R. 6634, to change the effective date for the Internet publica- tion of certain financial disclosure forms. Introduced by Rep. Eric Cantor on December 5, 2012, passed the House on December 5, 2012, and became Public Law 112–207.