Hearings

Americans of all faiths have a right to practice their religion free from the fear of persecution or harassment from their government. Our nation's founders believed this and enshrined religious freedom into the First Amendment to the Constitution.   While some Americans may not feel that government mandates forcing them to pay for contraception are an infringement on their religious beliefs, others consider it to be an assault against their freedom of ...

The federal government has grown astronomically despite a fiscal crisis and a lingering recession that has shrunk corporations, small businesses and put further strain on millions of American families working to make ends meet. Today's hearing will shed light on different proposals—including President Obama's—to assess and reshuffle the size of our federal government. The President's own budget, released this week, would add $1.3 trillion to the deficit in 2013. This budget does ...

Cheap and abundant energy has fueled our economic growth and job creation over the last century—continuing this growth in the future depends upon sustaining the availability and low cost of energy resources. Texas is at the heart of a resurging energy economy all along the Gulf Coast. Today, we look to the job creators of Texas to tell their stories about what policies have been successful and how their focus on fostering energy production has made Texas a magnet for new residents ...

Every worker should have the choice to decide whether their money is taken from their paychecks and used to fund political activity.   When this occurs, a worker should also have the right to know how their money is spent. Individual freedom and personal choice are cornerstones of our democratic government—they are also at the heart of union participation in America. Today’s hearing will examine the process by which union dues are collected and how transparent unions are ...

Legislative Action H.R. 3813, the "Securing Annuities for Federal Employees Act of 2012" Rep. Ross' Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) was agreed to, as amended, by voice vote. Rep. Cummings' amendment to Rep. Ross' ANS was defeated by voice vote. Rep. Holmes Norton's amendment to Rep. Ross' ANS was defeated by voice ...

Chairman Platts Hearing Opening Statement This hearing will address improper payments made by the federal government, and will continue this Subcommittee's examination of federal financial management issues. In FY 2011, the federal government reported $115 billion in improper payments. This is only an estimate; the total amount of improper payments is unknown. Improper payments occur for a variety of reasons, but they are all the result of poor financial ...

  Chairman Issa Hearing Preview Statement Over the past year, the ATF program known as Operation Fast and Furious has been the subject of a joint investigation by this committee and Sen. Chuck Grassley, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. When this investigation began, the Department of Justice took the position that allegations by whistleblowers about reckless tactics and decision making in this operation were ...

Chairman Darrell Issa Hearing Preview Statement If the United States Senate can pass a bill and send it to the President for his signature, it is clearly not in recess. But a "recess" is exactly what President Obama has argued in justifying four recent appointments. Today, the committee will assess the answer to that question and others by reviewing the process and law regarding recess appointments made by President Obama and their legal ...