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Interim Report on Threat of Postmaster General Dejoy's Postal Service Delays
From the Background: "On August 6, 2020, U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, launched an investigation into Postal Service delays resulting from operational changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. This interim report provides an update on Senator Peters' ongoing investigation and related responses by the Postmaster General. In July, Senator Peters sought answers from newly installed Postmaster General DeJoy, following reports that Postmaster General DeJoy had directed widespread changes to Postal Service operations that many postal workers, experts, and others feared would cause significant delays and disrupt service for the millions of Americans who rely on the mail every day. These changes included the elimination of extra mail transportation trips, the reduction of overtime, the start of a pilot program for mail sorting and delivery policies at hundreds of post offices, and the reduction of equipment at mail processing plants. As Senator Peters wrote to Postmaster General DeJoy in July, these changes have slowed mail delivery and compromised service for veterans, small businesses, rural communities, seniors, and millions of Americans who rely on the mail for medicines, essential goods, voting, correspondence, and for their livelihoods."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Peters, Gary C.
2020-08-21
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Art Industry and U.S. Policies That Undermine Sanctions, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "The United States government imposes economic sanctions on foreign adversaries in attempt to change their behavior. In theory, sanctions are simple. U.S. persons and companies are prohibited from doing business with sanctioned persons and entities. This prohibition should bar access to the world's largest economy. The United States imposes sanctions for a wide range of reasons. For example, the United States has imposed sanctions on Russia for election interference, human rights abuses, providing support to Venezuela and Syria, but mainly in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This report focuses, in particular, on a case study documenting how certain Russian oligarchs appear to have used transactions involving high-value art to evade sanctions imposed on them by the United States on March 20, 2014 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2020-07-29?
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Billions Wasted: No Excuse for Taxpayer Dollars Going to Deceased People
From the Executive Summary: "On March 13, 2020, the Trump Administration declared a national emergency in response to the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To help combat the pandemic and to address the needs of Americans facing severe health, economic, and security concerns, Congress passed the 'Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.' Provisions of the $2.2 trillion law included stimulus payments to help provide necessary relief for Americans devastated by the economic impacts of COVID-19. However, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Treasury has sent at least $1.4 billion in payments to deceased individuals as of April 30, totaling 1.1 million individual payments. [...] In order to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, Treasury must answer for its mismanagement of $1.4 billion in payments that went to deceased people, including its failure to implement safeguards and communicate with the public in a timely manner. Congress must also take immediate action to guard against future agency waste and enhance tools for preventing improper payments to deceased people."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-06-29?
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Role of the Strategic National Stockpile in Pandemic Response [video]
This is the June 24, 2020 hearing on "Role of the Strategic National Stockpile in Pandemic Response," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the Opening Statement of Ron Johnson: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] continues to inflict a terrible human and economic toll on the United States. In just over five months, the U.S. has experienced over 120,000 deaths and over 2 million total infections, and tens of millions have lost their jobs. As Congress reviews our response to COVID-19, it is important to take the lessons we have learned during this crisis to better prepare for a pandemic or other biological event of this scale in the future. The focus of today's hearing is the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Julie L. Gerberding, Daniel M. Gerstein, W. Gregory Burel, and Andrew Phelps. The duration of this video is 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 37 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-06-24
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Damage from Delays: Trump Administration Slow to Distribute COVID-19 Relief as Hospitals Forced to Furlough Workers
From the Executive Summary: "This report finds that rising costs associated with treating COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] patients combined with the inability to perform revenue-generating elective surgeries is pushing hospitals toward insolvency. Many hospitals that were already financially vulnerable are the only medical provider serving rural and low-income communities and are at especially high risk of closure. The report also assesses financial challenges impacting the health care industry and their effect on the entire public health response. Frontline workers, their families, the larger medical care community, and the public they serve all feel the effects. The health care workforce has seen unprecedented job losses and hospitals continue to furlough, lay off, and reduce the salaries of employees even as their operational demands increase. Although most cuts fell on employees not directly treating COVID-19 patients, frontline medical workers have also been impacted."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-06-22?
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Threats to U.S. Networks: Oversight of Chinese Government-Owned Carriers, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "Information and telecommunications technologies bring the world closer together, allowing individuals and businesses nearly everywhere in the world to communicate with each other. The expansion of global telecommunications networks, in particular, acts as a driving force of economic development by affording individuals unprecedented access to information and opportunities. Understanding the increasing interconnectedness of society, the Federal Communications Commission ('FCC')--the federal agency tasked with regulating the U.S. telecommunications industry--strives to open U.S. markets to foreign telecommunications carriers, where doing so is in the country's public interest. As a result, foreign-owned carriers have established operations within the United States. Not all international expansion of telecommunications carriers, however, is in the United States' national security interests. Some foreign governments seek to exploit the openness of America's telecommunications market to advance their own national interests. One such country is China. The Chinese government views telecommunications as a 'strategic' industry. [...] This report details how the U.S. federal government--particularly the FCC, Department of Justice ('DOJ'), and Department of Homeland Security ('DHS')-- historically exercised minimal oversight to safeguard U.S. telecommunications networks against risks posed by Chinese state-owned carriers."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2020-06-09?
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COVID-19: How New Information Should Drive Policy, Roundtable Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, May 6, 2020 [video]
This video is from the May 6, 2020 roundtable hearing on "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]: How New Information Should Drive Policy," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Scott W. Atlas, David L. Katz, Pierre Kory, John P.A. Ioannidis, Avik Roy, and Tom Inglesby. The length of the video is 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 35 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-05-06
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Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics, Hearing Before the Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, March 5, 2020 [video]
This video is from the March 5, 2020 hearing on "Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Kenneth T. Cuccinelli and Robert Kadlec. The length of the video is 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 54 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-03-05
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Roundtable: Are We Prepared? Protecting the U.S. from Global Pandemics [video]
From the Opening Statement of Ron Johnson: "The emergence of the novel coronavirus from Wuhan, China and its arrival on our doorstep shows the threat that pandemics pose to our nation. Already, around the world, this coronavirus has infected tens of thousands of people and killed hundreds. […] If we want to stop infectious diseases from becoming global problems, then we must ensure that our policies and procedures are thoughtfully developed and ready to go before the next infection crosses our borders. To achieve this goal, we must be able to answer some key questions: First and foremost, who's in charge? We have learned that an effective response to a pandemic requires a whole-of-government approach: health officials who identify and treat the disease, homeland security officials who protect against infection, and a host of others. But our response is not effective if it is not well-managed. Second, do we have clear strategies and plans to combat these global diseases and pandemics? Third, what lessons have we learned from previous responses? Have we addressed and resolved those issues?" Witnesses for this roundtable include the following: Nikki Clowers, Julie L. Gerberding, Scott Gottlieb, Luciana Borio, and Asha M. George. A transcript for the opening statement in this 2 hour, 12 minute, 32 second video is also available [https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Opening Statement-Johnson-2020-02-12.pdf].
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-02-12
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Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "American taxpayers contribute over $150 billion each year to scientific research in the United States. Through entities like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy's National Labs, taxpayers fund innovations that contribute to our national security and profoundly change the way we live. America built this successful research enterprise on certain values: reciprocity, integrity, merit-based competition, and transparency. These values foster a free exchange of ideas, encourage the most rigorous research results to flourish, and ensure that researchers receive the benefit of their intellectual capital. The open nature of research in America is manifest; we encourage our researchers and scientists to 'stand on the shoulders of giants.' In turn, America attracts the best and brightest. Foreign researchers and scholars travel to the United States just to participate in the advancement of science and technology."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-11-18?
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Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans, Appendix B: China's Talent Recruitment Plan Case Studies
This document contains China's talent recruitment plan case studies as described in Congressional report titled "Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-11-18?
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Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans, Appendix a: China's Talent Recruitment Plan Contracts
This document includes China's talent recruitment plan contracts as presented in the Congressional report titled "Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-11-18?
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Abuses of the Federal Notice-And-Comment Rulemaking Process
From the Executive Summary: "Federal agencies depend on relevant, substantive information from a wide variety of parties to assist them in developing and updating federal regulations. This information includes comments submitted by members of the public, businesses, non-profit organizations, and academics. This process, known as 'notice-and-comment rulemaking,' transitioned from paper to the internet in the early 2000s. As a result, the public has more opportunity than ever to engage in the federal rulemaking process by reviewing electronic regulatory dockets and submitting comments through portals like Regulations.gov and the Federal Communications Commission's ('FCC') Electronic Comment Filing System ('ECFS'). [...] After the FCC received nearly 24 million comments in the course of just one rulemaking proceeding in 2017 and its website crashed due to the volume of comments submitted simultaneously, the Subcommittee initiated a review of federal commenting systems to understand their flaws and develop recommendations to improve them."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Carper, Thomas R., 1947-; Portman, Robert J. (Robert Jones), 1955-
2019-10-24?
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True Cost of Government Shutdowns, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress
From the Executive Summary: "The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse. Specifically, Congress has the sole responsibility to raise revenue and appropriate money to fund the federal government. When Congress and the President fail to reach agreement on legislation to appropriate funds, affected federal agencies shut down and suspend most activities. During this time, federal law prevents most federal employees from working and most are sent home without pay. In recent shutdowns, however, the spending legislation ultimately agreed upon by Congress and the President provided back pay for federal employees. As such, the American taxpayer funded furloughed federal employees' salaries for the duration of each shutdown, even when employees were not permitted to go to work. This report documents the cost to the American taxpayer of the last three government shutdowns."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2019-09-17?
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Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data at Risk, Staff Report of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, June 25, 2019
From the Executive Summary: "The number of data breaches agencies have reported in recent years is not surprising given the current cybersecurity posture of the federal government. A recent report by the Office of Management and Budget ('OMB') made clear that agencies 'do not understand and do not have the resources to combat the current threat environment.' This is especially concerning given the information agencies must collect and hold. This report documents the extent to which the federal government is the target of cybersecurity attacks, how key federal agencies have failed to address vulnerabilities in their IT [information technology] infrastructure, and how these failures have left America's sensitive personal information unsafe and vulnerable to theft."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-06-25?
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How Equifax Neglected Cybersecurity and Suffered a Devastating Data Breach: Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "In the modern world, businesses collect and compile data about their customers and potential customers. Without proper precautions, this information can be stored or transmitted in ways that leave it vulnerable to theft. The information collected by consumer reporting agencies ('CRAs') to compile credit reports is one example of PII [personally identifiable information] that must be protected. [...] In 2017, one of the largest CRAs, Equifax Inc. ('Equifax') announced that it had suffered a data breach that involved the PII of over 145 million Americans. The Subcommittee investigated the causes of this breach to identify ways to prevent future incidents of this scope. The Subcommittee also reviewed the efforts of Equifax's two largest competitors, Experian plc ('Experian') and TransUnion LLC ('TransUnion'), in responding to the vulnerability that ultimately led to the Equifax data breach."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-03-06?
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How the U.S. Immigration System Encourages Child Marriages
"U.S. law and U.S. Department of State policy aim to prevent and reduce the risks of child marriages occurring around the world, yet major loopholes in U.S. law have allowed thousands of minors to be subjected to child marriages. Under the 'Immigration and Nationality Act' ('INA'), a U.S. child may petition for a visa for a spouse or fiancé living in another country, and a U.S. adult may petition for a visa for a minor spouse or fiancé living abroad. [...] Over the last eleven years (FY2007 to FY2017), USCIS [U.S. Customs and Immigration Services] approved 3,595,447 petitions for spousal or fiancé entry in to the United States. Of those, 8,686 involved a minor. Two minors whose petitions were approved were 13 years old; 38 were 14 years old; 269 were 15 years old; 1,768 were 16 years old; and the remaining 6,609 were 17 years old. Girls were the younger party in 95 percent of the petitions approved by USCIS."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Johnson, Ron, 1955-
2019-01-11
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Judicial Rulings Ending the Obama Administration's Family Detention Policy: Implications for Illegal Immigration and Border Security
"The political debate over immigration--both legal and illegal--has become steadily more divisive over the last few decades, resulting in a policy stalemate. The complexity, inadequacy of information, and changing nature of the problem only deepen the challenge of finding solutions. [...] No one really knows how many people enter the United States illegally each year, or how many people currently reside in the country illegally. The number of apprehensions is often used as a surrogate statistic to estimate the levels of illegal immigration and residency. It is an imperfect surrogate to say the least. To illustrate one distortion, some Mexican migrants living close to the border who attempt to enter the country illegally may be apprehended multiple times. Migrants from Central America who are apprehended and returned to their countries of origin do not have the same opportunity for multiple illegal crossings. As a result, multiple apprehensions of Mexicans tend to overstate the assumed extent of illegal immigration. Even the definition of 'apprehension' itself has changed over time, further distorting the numbers. [...] The goal of any immigration reform should be to deter and reduce the number of people entering illegally, overstaying a visa, or entering without proper documentation. Immigration should be a legal and controlled process. Over the last 30 years, Congress has passed multiple bills that are either primarily designed to fix this problem or that have elements that attempt to address it. [...] [I]n spite of these attempted legislative fixes, the problem has only continued to grow."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Johnson, Ron, 1955-
2019-01-10
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China's Impact on the U.S. Education System
From the Executive Summary: "When China sought to market itself to students around the world, it looked to its past. Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, is synonymous with morality, justice, and honesty. The Chinese government capitalized on this rich legacy and began establishing Confucius Institutes on college campuses around the world in 2004, including the first in the United States at the University of Maryland. Today, there are more than 100 Confucius Institutes in the United States, the most of any country. [...] Through Confucius Institutes, the Chinese government is attempting to change the impression in the United States and around the world that China is an economic and security threat. Confucius Institutes' soft power encourages complacency towards China's pervasive, long-term initiatives against both government critics at home and businesses and academic institutions abroad. Those long-term initiatives include its Made in China 2025 plan, a push to lead the world in certain advanced technology manufacturing. The Thousand Talents program is another state-run initiative designed to recruit Chinese researchers in the United States to return to China for significant financial gain--bringing with them the knowledge gained at U.S. universities and companies."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2019?
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Fueling an Epidemic: A Flood of 1.6 Billion Doses of Opioids into Missouri and the Need for Stronger DEA Enforcement (Report 3)
"The three major pharmaceutical distributors in the United States -- McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Cardinal Health, Inc. -- each recorded 2017 revenue in excess of $125 billion and ranked within the top 15 companies on the 2017 Fortune 500 list. Although unknown to many Americans, these companies play a critical role in preventing the diversion of opioid products from pharmacies and other customers to the black market. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), distributors carry a legal obligation to monitor and report suspicious orders of controlled substances to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The sheer volume of opioid products distributed in the United States makes compliance with CSA obligations a key component of the fight against the opioid epidemic. According to information McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health provided to the Committee, for example, these companies shipped around 1.6 billion dosage units of opioid products to Missouri alone between 2012 and 2017. This volume of opioids equated to more than 260 dosage units for every Missourian during the five-year period. During 2015 -- the peak year for opioid shipments to Missouri during 2012 - 2017 -- the three major distributors shipped approximately 52 opioid dosage units per person in the state."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-07-12
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S. 2836: The Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018: Countering Malicious Drones, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, June 6, 2018
This web page contains a full video recording of the June 6, 2018 hearing titled "The Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018: Countering Malicious Drones" held before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Ron Johnson: "Unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, can be used by adversaries in a number of ways to harm or threaten public safety. As is the case when discussing any potential threats, I am wary of providing too much information publicly that could be used by those that want to do us harm. But it should come as no surprise that extremists and criminals both at home and abroad continue to develop drone technology to use for malign purposes. Traffickers use drones to conduct surveillance or smuggle illegal drugs into our country. Criminals use drones to smuggle weapons and other contraband into secure areas including federal prisons. Terrorists use drones to execute their evil attacks against innocent civilians. The number of drone incidents reported by federal agencies - for example drone flights over sensitive areas or suspicious activities - has skyrocketed from 8 incidents in 2013 to an estimated 1,752 incidents in 2016. The technology is not only constantly evolving, but is getting cheaper and easier to buy off the shelf and manipulate. I am concerned that the federal government does not have the legal authorities it needs to protect the American public from these kinds of threats. The threats posed by malicious drones are too great to ignore. It is not enough to simply tell operators of unmanned aircraft not to fly in certain areas; we must give federal law enforcement the authority to act if necessary." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: David J. Glawe, Hayley Chang, Scott Brunner, and Angela H. Stubblefield.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-06-06
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Combating the Opioid Epidemic: The Interception of Illicit Opioids by the Border Patrol
"U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plays a vital role in interdicting illicit narcotics before they can enter the United States. This role is particularly important given the rise of the opioid epidemic and the increasing use of fentanyl, which is overwhelmingly produced outside the United States. At the request of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs examined the efforts of CBP to interdict illicit opioids entering the United States. The investigation found that Border Patrol Agents play an important role in stopping opioids. Currently, CBP collects data and statistics on opioid seizures made by its two primary law enforcement components, the Office of Field Operations, which controls operations at ports of entry, and Border Patrol, which maintains security between ports of entry. This report summarizes and analyzes data relating to the number and amount of opioid seizures by Border Patrol Agents over the last five years."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
McCaskill, Claire C.
2018-05-23
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Combating the Opioid Epidemic: Intercepting Illicit Opioids at Ports of Entry
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plays a vital role in interdicting illicit narcotics before they can enter the United States. This role is particularly important given the rise of the opioid epidemic and the increasing use of fentanyl, which is overwhelmingly produced outside the United States. At the request of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs examined the efforts of CBP officers to interdict illicit opioids entering the United States. The investigation found that CBP Officers at ports of entry (Port Officers) play a key role in stopping opioids and that CBP has significant shortages of Port Officers that may be compromising efforts to seize additional opioids before they can reach U.S. communities. Currently, CBP collects data and statistics on opioid seizures made by its two primary law enforcement components, the Office of Field Operations, which controls operations at ports of entry, and Border Patrol, which maintains security between ports of entry. This report summarizes and analyzes data relating to the number and amount of opioid seizures at ports of entry over the last five years."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-05-10
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Afghanistan in Review: Oversight of U.S. Spending in Afghanistan, Initial Majority Oversight Report, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, May 9, 2018
From the Introduction: "In order to understand the issues confronting the ongoing U.S. effort in Afghanistan, the Federal Spending Oversight (FSO) Subcommittee conducted on-the-ground oversight of U.S. spending in-country from April 14th to 16th, 2018. This mission consisted of more than a dozen meetings and four off-site visits over the course of two and a half days in Afghanistan. The bipartisan FSO team met with Afghans from both the national government and a non-governmental organization (NGO); military and State Department personnel;and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The team also visited the Defense Logistics Agency's demilitarization and disposal facility at Bagram Air Base; an incomplete and abandoned hotel adjacent to the U.S. Embassy that was financed through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation;the Afghanistan Department of the Interior; and the offices of Integrity Watch Afghanistan. This is an initial majority report of that mission, the team's findings, and observations from on the ground amidst America's 'Forever War.'"
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-05-09
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Government Oversight: Failures in FEMA Contracting for Emergency Tarps & Sheeting During the 2017 Hurricane Season
"The federal government relies heavily on contractors to provide critical goods and services after disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for the majority of this contracting activity. When hurricanes damage homeowners' roofs, FEMA provides emergency tarps and sheeting to provide temporary covering until permanent repairs can be made. These forms of temporary roof protection allow hurricane survivors to return to their homes, rather than remaining in temporary shelters or emergency housing programs. At the request of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, the minority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs examined contracts awarded by FEMA for emergency tarps and sheeting during the response to the 2017 hurricane season."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-04-10
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Border Security: Analysis of Vulnerabilities Identified by Frontline Agents
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects data annually from frontline Border Patrol agents and chiefs for each of the nine Border Patrol sectors along the southwest border. These data (1) identify vulnerabilities - or 'capability gaps' - that inhibit agents from securing the border and (2) catalog preliminary requests for solutions that would address each capability gap using infrastructure, technology, personnel, or other resources. The tool CBP uses to capture its vulnerability assessments and initial resource requests is known as the Capability Gap Analysis Process (CGAP). The following report summarizes the results of the Democratic Committee staff's review of nonpublic data contained in CGAP in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-03-22
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Fueling an Epidemic: Exposing the Financial Ties Between Opioid Manufacturers and Third Party Advocacy Groups (Report 2)
"This report provides the first comprehensive snapshot of the financial connections between opioid manufacturers and advocacy groups and professional societies operating in the area of opioids policy. Drawing on disclosures from Purdue Pharma L.P., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mylan N.V., Depomed, Inc., and Insys Therapeutics, Inc., in response to requests from Ranking Member McCaskill, the sections below describe nearly $9 million in payments from these manufacturers to 14 outside groups working on chronic pain and other opioid-related issues between 2012 and 2017. In addition, physicians affiliated with these groups accepted more than $1.6 million in payments from the five manufacturers between 2013 and the present. In total, the five manufacturers have made more than $10 million in payments to these groups and affiliated individuals since January 2012. [...] The fact that these same manufacturers provided millions of dollars to the groups described below suggests, at the very least, a direct link between corporate donations and the advancement of opioidsfriendly messaging. By aligning medical culture with industry goals in this way, many of the groups described in this report may have played a significant role in creating the necessary conditions for the U.S. opioids epidemic."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-02-12?
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Drugs for Dollars: How Medicaid Helps Fuel the Opioid Epidemic, a Majority Staff Report of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate
"The dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths throughout America has appropriately been labeled a national health care crisis. In 2016, the nearly 64,000 drug overdose deaths outnumbered every other cause of accidental fatalities. As a result, Americans have been paying much attention to what caused this epidemic and what can be done to end it. Less attention is paid to the possibility that federal programs--namely, Medicaid--have contributed to the epidemic. There are many causes to the opioid epidemic, making it easy to point multiple fingers of blame. Most agree that development, marketing, and medical training regarding drug usage--and the resulting over-prescription of opioids--have played a key role. In addition, drug traffickers take full advantage of America's unsecured borders to flood heroin and fentanyl into lucrative domestic markets. Solutions directed at these problems are similarly nuanced and multifaceted. But what if one of the contributing causes is connected to federal spending itself?"
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-01-17
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Overruled: White House Overrules Department of Homeland Security Budget Request on Border Security Personnel
"The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plays a critical role in the process of developing the President's Budget Proposal each year. The Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs recently obtained a non-public document communicating OMB guidance from the President to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding its upcoming budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. At the request of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, this staff report summarizes budgetary information contained within the document that relates to staffing at DHS. Key findings include: (1) A document obtained by the Committee reveals that OMB overruled specific DHS budget requests on a number of personnel issues during the development of the FY 2019 President's Budget proposal. (2) OMB instructed DHS to hire 1,000 more new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents officers than DHS actually requested, raising the total number of new law enforcement personnel ICE must hire in FY 2019 from 1,000 to 2,000. (3) In contrast, OMB did not accept DHS's proposed increase in funding for the Office of Field Operations, which employs CBP [Customs and Border Protection] Officers stationed at ports of entry and has major responsibilities for border security. (4) OMB rejected the Department's request for a 2019 pay raise for Border Patrol Agents, ICE Agents, CBP Officers, and other DHS employees, and refused an increase for CBP health benefits. The President's FY 2019 budget proposal will seek a government-wide pay freeze for all civilian federal employees, potentially impacting the Department's ability to recruit and retain qualified employees."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2017-12-13?
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Overruled: White House Overrules Department of Homeland Security Budget Request on Border Security Priorities
"The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plays a critical role in the process of developing the President's budget proposal each year. The Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs recently obtained a non-public document communicating OMB guidance from the President to the Department of Homeland Security regarding its upcoming budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2019. At the request of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, this staff report summarizes information contained within this document related to securing our nation's borders. Key findings include: (1) OMB rejected the Department's specific funding requests in certain circumstances for additional border security technology and equipment and, instead, instructed the Department to dramatically increase funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. (2) OMB instructed the Department to decrease its original funding request for border security technology and equipment initiatives by approximately $175 million. (3) OMB reduced the Department budget request for Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS) in the Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley sector in Texas. Despite its assertion that 'surveillance in the Sector is a continued priority,' OMB instructed DHS to request only $43.7 million for this technology - a $44.6 million reduction to the Department's original request, constituting a cut of over 50%. OMB acknowledged that reductions to RVSS technology are necessary 'to offset the costs of Presidential priorities not funded in the DHS request.' (4) OMB instructed DHS to seek $1.6 billion from Congress 'to continue construction of the border wall in the Rio Grande Valley Sector' of Texas. The document indicates that OMB's instruction to ask for $1.6 billion is '$700 million more than the agency request,' representing a 78% increase over the Department's original funding request for a physical barrier along the southwest border."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2017-12-13
