1 Union Calendar No. 408 112TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 112–568 THIRD SEMIANNUAL ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JUNE 2012 (Pursuant to House Rule XI, 1(d)(1)) Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov http://www.house.gov/reform JUNE 29, 2012.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 19–006 WASHINGTON : 2012 VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS 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. CONNOLLY, 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 FRANK C. GUINTA, New Hampshire 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 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, Washington, DC, June 29, 2012. Hon. JOHN A. BOEHNER, Speaker of the 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 third semi- annual activities report for the 112th Congress. Sincerely, DARRELL ISSA, Chairman. (III) VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS C O N T E N T S Page I. Legislative Activities ........................................................................................ 2 II. Oversight Activities .......................................................................................... 27 III. Summary of Committee Oversight Plan ......................................................... 58 IV. Summary of Actions Taken and Recommendations Made with Respect to the Oversight Plan ................................................................................... 60 V. Summary of Any Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken, and Any Recommendations Made or Actions Taken Thereon .................................. 84 VI. Delineation of any Hearings Held Pursuant to Clauses 2(n), (o), or (p) 86 (V) VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS Union Calendar No. 408 112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 112–568 THIRD SEMIANNUAL ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM JUNE 29, 2012.—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, JUNE 2012 THIRD SEMIANNUAL ACTIVITIES REPORT The number one priority of this Congress is to foster private sec- tor 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 State of the Union Address, the President 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.’’ In the first three quarters of the 112th Congress, the Committee held numerous hearings, including those at both the full committee and the subcommittee levels, to examine how the rules proposed and implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency, the De- partment of Interior, the Department of Labor, and the General Services Administration, among others, have hurt job creation. The Full Committee has advanced the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, as well as the Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012, and a mora- torium on ‘‘Midnight Rules’’ or major rules offered by a lame duck president. 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 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS 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, gives us the opportunity to promote private sector eco- nomic growth by reducing fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government spending, and improving government performance. During the first three quarters of the 112th Congress, the Com- mittee on Oversight and Government Reform held 165 oversight hearings and reported 63 bills and resolutions to the House for con- sideration, including the restoration of the successful D.C. Oppor- tunity Scholarship Program, bills dealing with tax accountability for federal employees and contractors, transparency of grants, pro- tecting whistleblowers, reducing the size of the federal workforce through attrition, modernizing the Federal Information Security Management Act, and reforming the United States Postal Service. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, a bipartisan transparency spending bill sponsored by the Chairman and Rank- ing 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. 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. 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. S. 1302, a bill to authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property in Tracy, California, to the City of Tracy. Introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer on June 29, 2011, passed the House on May 7, 2012, and became Public Law 112– 119. BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE H.R. 471, Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act. Intro- duced by Rep. John Boehner on January 26, 2011. History: Marked VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:26 Jul 06, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR568.XXX HR568 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS 3 up by the Committee on March 10, 2011, and ordered favorably re- ported by a vote of 21 ayes to 14 nays; H. Rept. 112–36 filed on March 17, 2011; and passed the House on March 30, 2011, by a vote of 225–195. H.R. 665, Excess Federal Building and Property Disposal Act of 2011. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on February 11, 2011. History: Marked up by the Committee on November 17, 2011, or- dered reported favorably, as amended, by voice vote; H. Rept. 112– 402 filed on February 27, 2012; and passed by the House on March 20, 2012 by a vote of 403–0. H.R. 1255, Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011. Intro- duced by Rep. Steve Womack on March 30, 2011, with primary re- ferral to the Committee on Appropriations. History: The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform did not act on H.R. 1255; and it was passed by the House on April 1, 2011, by a vote of 221– 201.