Government Reform

Committee Holds Hearing on Grantmaking Practices at the Department of Justice

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing titled, “Examining Grantmaking Practices at the Department of Justice” on Thursday, June 19, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Committee Investigates Allegations of Contractors Overcharging for Fuel in Iraq

In letters to Secretary of Defense Gates and the International Oil Trading Company, Chairman Waxman requested documents regarding recent allegations that IOTC has been charging above market prices to supply fuel to U.S. bases in Iraq.

Chairman Waxman Requests Investigation into Criminal Fraud Cases in Iraq

In a letter to the Defense Department Inspector General, Chairman Waxman asks the IG to examine potentially thousands of criminal cases involving fraudulent contracts in Iraq, which could involve hundreds of millions of federal dollars.

House Passes Waxman Clean Contract Amendment

The House of Representatives voted to include in the Defense Authorization bill the Waxman Clean Contracting amendment, which is a response to pervasive waste, fraud, and abuse uncovered by congressional, GAO and Inspector General investigations. The Clean Contracting amendment would (1) require agencies to enhance competition in contracting, (2) limit the use of abuse-prone contracts, (3) rebuild the federal acquisition workforce, (4) strengthen anti-fraud measures, and (5) increase transparency in federal contracting.

Committee Holds Hearing on Accountability Lapses in Multiple Funds for Iraq

The Committee held a hearing titled, “Accountability Lapses in Multiple Funds for Iraq” on Thursday, May 22, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Committee Holds Hearing on Defense Base Act Insurance

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing titled, “Defense Base Act Insurance: Are Taxpayers Paying Too Much?” on Thursday, May 15, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Duplicative Federal Retiree Drug Coverage Costing Taxpayers and Federal Retiree Millions

Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Davis wrote to CMS and OPM asking why over 200,000 retirees with federal retiree drug coverage have also enrolled for duplicative and unnecessary Medicare Part D drug benefits, and why CMS and OPM have not coordinated these benefits, wasting as much as $200 million in retiree and taxpayer funds annually.

Chairman Waxman and Rep. Clay Request Testimony at Hearing on Census Bureau

Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Clay invited Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez and Census Bureau Director Steven Murdock to testify at a June hearing regarding the Census Bureau’s preparation for the 2010 census and the mismanaged Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) contract.

Committee Holds Hearing on Defense Department Acquisitions

The Full Committee and the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee held a joint hearing titled, “Oversight of Defense Department Acquisitions” on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Committee Investigates Government Contractors’ Use of Tax Shelters

In letters to KBR and fourteen other federal contractors that perform work in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chairman Waxman requested information about the use of off-shore subsidiaries to reduce federal tax liability.

Chairman Waxman Requests Information on New GSA Advisory Panel

In a letter to GSA Administrator Doan, Chairman Waxman requested documents related to a newly announced advisory panel tasked with examining existing tools for ensuring the government pays the lowest prices for goods and services.

House Passes Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2007

On April 14, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4881, the Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2007, which prohibits companies with seriously delinquent federal tax debts from receiving new contracts.

Chairman Waxman Requests Details of Federal Reserve's No-Bid Arrangement with BlackRock

Chairman Waxman requests details of a potentially long-term arrangement between the Federal Reserve and BlackRock, an investment advisory firm selected to manage $30 billion in assets backed by federal taxpayers.

Oversight Committee Requests Documents on Troubled Census Program

In response to notification that Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez will be unable to testify at the April 9 Committee hearing on the Field Data Collection Automation program, Chairman Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Clay requested documents related to the program.

Committee Questions Fraud Reporting Exemptions for Overseas Contractors

Chairman Waxman requests documents related to an exemption for overseas contractors that was inserted into a proposed rule requiring government contractors to detect, prevent, and report fraud.

Chairman Waxman Requests DOJ Grant Documents

Responding to concerns raised by Rep. Timothy Walz about questionable practices by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in awarding grants, Chairman Waxman wrote to Attorney General Mukasey to request documents detailing the grantmaking process at OJJDP.

GAO Report Finds EPA Library Closures Flawed

A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) effort to close regional and research libraries around the country has been plagued by managerial problems.

Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis Respond to CIA Inspector General on Committee Jurisdiction

In a letter to CIA Inspector General Helgerson, Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis respond to the CIA’s IG’s refusal to provide information concerning unimplemented recommendations, and reiterate the Committee request for the information.

New Inspection Reports Reveal Deficiencies in the Construction of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq

New documents released by Chairman Waxman identify “critical” and “major” deficiencies in the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, raising questions about the decision of the State Department to certify in December that the Embassy compound was “substantially complete.”

Committee Submits Views and Estimates for FY 2009 Budget

Chairman Waxman wrote to the House Budget Committee to submit the views and estimates of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for the fiscal year 2009 budget. The submittal highlighted many of the Committee’s concerns about President Bush’s proposed budget, especially attempts to overturn good government legislation supported by the Committee and a failure to sufficiently address waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending.

Chairman Waxman Requests GAO Examination of Regional Fishery Management Council Expenditures

Chairman Waxman wrote to Comptroller General David Walker to request that GAO examine the expenditures of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) in response to concerns about WESPAC’s questionable usage of federal funds.

Charity Alert

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing to examine whether all the charitable groups raising money for the purpose of helping our nation’s veterans are genuinely serving that need. Although a large number of charities are fulfilling their mission, serious questions have been raised about some groups.

Chairman Waxman Requests Inspectors General Provide Information on Unimplemented Recommendations

As part of the Committee’s ongoing investigations into waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending, Chairman Waxman requested information regarding unimplemented recommendations from Inspectors General at 63 federal agencies.

Waxman Requests that GAO Continue K-Town Investigation

Chairman Waxman writes to Comptroller General David Walker to request that GAO continue it’s investigation into the management of the construction of the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center, known as K-Town Mall, at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. Earlier this year, GAO presented the committee with preliminary findings on why the project was experiencing scheduling delays, cost overruns, and performance problems.

Evidence of Tax Evasion by Blackwater

New documents suggest that Blackwater may have engaged in significant tax evasion, failing to withhold and pay millions of dollars in Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, and related taxes, and sought to conceal its conduct from Congress and law enforcement officials.