Issue Position: Oversight and Government Reform

Issue Position

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is tasked with ensuring the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, eliminating wasteful and duplicative government programs, and serving as the chief investigative panel of the House of Representatives. I am proud to serve on this committee and to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight for a more transparent and efficient federal government.

Subcommittee Assignments
As Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service & the Census, I am working to ensure our federal government employs an efficient and productive workforce. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over the U.S. Postal Service, the federal civil service, and the Census Bureau. I also serve on the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care & Entitlements, where I'm focused on conducting oversight on Obamacare, highlighting efforts to return our entitlements to a sustainable trajectory, and making sure excessive red tape does not hold back domestic energy production. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over the government's involvement in our nation's energy industry, the health care system, and the management of entitlement programs.

Benghazi
Oversight and Government Reform has actively pursued answers into what happened on the September 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the loss of four American lives. Despite the Administration's unwillingness to provide the necessary documents and assistance for our investigation, the Committee has held several hearings seeking answers about the lack of a military response, the decisions made by senior officials during the night of the attack, and the failure of interagency cooperation that resulted in this tragedy. On May 8, 2013, the committee held a hearing entitled, "Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage," and I had the opportunity to ask State Department whistleblowers about their experience on the ground and in the aftermath of the attack. Additionally, on May 8, 2014, the House voted on H.Res.567 to establish a Select Committee to investigate the events surrounding the attacks in Benghazi. The measure passed the House and I voted in support. To learn more about the Select Committee's activities, please go to: http://benghazi.house.gov/.

IRS
The committee has helped lead Congress' investigation into the unlawful and unwarranted targeting of conservative and religious groups by the IRS. While our work has uncovered important information about the personnel involved and the extent of the harassment, more must be done to hold responsible parties accountable. The IRS must supply the committee with the critical emails and documents pertaining to this case to allow for a complete investigation and give assurance to the American people that this will never happen again.

Cooperation from key officials within the IRS is imperative to understanding why this targeting occurred and provide answers to the American people. Former IRS Director for Tax-Exempt organizations, Lois Lerner, was in a key position when the targeting took place and her testimony is critical to the Committee's investigation. Despite being informed by the Committee that Ms. Lerner had waived her Fifth Amendment privileges, Ms. Lerner continues to refuse to testify before Congress. As a result, on May 7, 2014 the House voted to hold Ms. Lerner in contempt.

In addition, I have cosponsored a number of legislative initiatives that would reign in abuses by the IRS, including: H.R. 2565, the STOP IRS Act, which passed the House on July 31,2013 and would allow for the termination of IRS employees who conduct certain official actions for personal gain or political purposes; H.R. 1993, the Prevent IRS Overreach Act; H.R. 2458 to allow for the termination of any Federal employee who refuses to answer questions or gives false testimony in a congressional hearing; and H.R. 2557, the Imprisonment for Tax Targeting of Americans Act.

Whistleblowers
If you have knowledge about systemic waste, fraud and abuse of federal taxpayer dollars at your agency or other organization, please contact my office at 202-225-6276 or use the form provided by the Committee. Your personal information will be kept in strict confidence.

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