Welcome to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Ready for Reuse: Legislative Proposals to Unleash the Potential of America’s Brownfields Sites. Subcommittee Chairman Palmer’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Our country is facing a novel set of challenges, and the global economic and security landscape is shifting. Having to rely on adversaries such as China for critical materials jeopardizes our national security and economy. In order to address these challenges, strengthen our economy, and deliver jobs to communities back home, we need to increase our domestic capacity to manufacture crucial products, produce a reliable supply of energy, and secure our position in the global artificial infrastructure race.    “As we heard at a Subcommittee hearing a year ago, our country is home to thousands of sites known as brownfields, which are underutilized, idled, or abandoned property where redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. These sites can be environmental hazards and a nuisance to local communities, but they can also be opportunities.    “While not All Brownfields Sites are appropriate for ALL uses, we should be looking for opportunities to accomplish the compatible goals of siting crucial infrastructure that is a good fit for a particular location, and encouraging remediation and reuse of idle or underutilized properties.    “To that end, we plan to discuss four bills.    “The Brownfields Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act reauthorizes both the EPA Brownfields Grants Program and the state response program through Fiscal Year 2031. It also builds on a previous discussion draft of reauthorization legislation considered at a hearing last Congress. This draft again includes expanding eligibility for brownfields grants to certain private entities, as well as a program to assist rural communities with developing competitive grant applications. It incorporates requests from brownfields stakeholders, such as increased award amount limits and expanded eligible uses for funding. It also updates the criteria EPA shall consider when ranking applications to support reuse for nationally significant infrastructure projects, such as critical mineral and semiconductor facilities, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and energy generation from all power resources. The existing criteria only supports renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.    “The second bill, the Brownfields Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, creates a new loan program, similar to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act ‘WIFIA’ and Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act ‘TIFIA’ programs used to finance water and transportation infrastructure projects.    “The third bill is the Brownfields Inventory and Permitting Efficiency Act, which directs the EPA and states to work together to compile a list of sites suitable for nationally significant infrastructure projects. It also streamlines permitting for projects on certain brownfields sites, and requires EPA to provide guidance to other federal agencies on how to conduct more efficient reviews of these previously disturbed and often previously studied sites. Finally, it directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of impediments to timely and efficient removal of Superfund sites from the National Priorities List.    “Lastly, we have the Brownfields Reauthorization for an Affordable and Revitalized America Act offered by the minority. While this bill increases some grant award limits and directs the EPA to waive cost share requirements in certain circumstances, it also significantly increases the authorization of appropriations for both the Brownfields Grant Program and the state response programs.    “We have four witnesses here today to help us analyze these proposals.    “First, we have Mr. Chris Wells, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, and the current President of the Environmental Council of the States to provide the state perspective.    “We also welcome Mr. Gerald Pouncey, Jr., Senior Counsel at Taft Stettinius & Hollister. Mr. Pouncey has led numerous efforts to permit and finance redevelopment of industrial sites, ports, and former military facilities.    “Also joining us is the Honorable Alan Tomson, Mayor of Davis, West Virginia, and representing the National Brownfields Coalition, who will speak to the impact of the Brownfields Program in local communities.    “Finally, we have Mr. David Robinson, Executive Vice President of Strategic Development, for Aligned Data Centers, whose testimony will address his company’s work on brownfields sites.    “I’d like to reiterate that these bills are all discussion drafts, so I look forward to hearing robust discussion on these proposals, both today and on future occasions.    “Thank you.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Full Committee Markup. Read more below.  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss legislation to reauthorize the PHMSA pipeline safety program.  DATE:  Wednesday, March 4, 2026   TIME:  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING:  The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment is holding a hearing to examine legislative proposals supporting the remediation and redevelopment of America’s Brownfields Sites.   DATE:  Wednesday, March 4, 2026  TIME:  2:00 PM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building  FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP:  The Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of nine bills.   DATE:  Thursday, March 5, 2026  TIME:  10:00 AM ET  LOCATION:  2123 Rayburn House Office Building   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled America’s Energy Infrastructure: Authorizing Pipeline Safety . “Reliable, affordable natural gas makes up almost half of our country’s resource mix for power generation, and more than half of American families rely on natural gas to heat their homes, cook their food, and power their lives,” said Chairman Latta. “Pipeline infrastructure in this country is essential to ensure the safe delivery of energy to fuel our country.” Watch the full hearing here .     Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “Pipelines are the safest delivery method in the world. We appreciate what you're doing. In a state like Texas, we have almost half a million miles of pipeline that transport the vast majority of our oil and natural gas, CO2, and other things, and our national security depends on that. We’re seeing that play out with the situation in Iran, we need to continue to build out this network because it is the safest network...The ERCOT grid relies heavily on natural gas fired generation to meet the peak demand and maintain grid stability, an adequate pipeline capacity and timely infrastructure development are directly tied to reliability and affordability.” Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL): “Speaking about the partnership with the states, and having been a regulator, we operated on behalf of PHMSA for some of the programs. I thought it was a great way to have folks who are committed to our state and really care deeply about what happens there focus on pipeline safety. So, I think it’s a brilliant program. Tell me about the benefits of the state partnerships, and if you have enough money for that, and if you think that you could save money and have more safety by expanding that model of cooperative federalism and more state inspectors.” Administrator Roberti: “It is a great program. Our state partners cover 80% of the natural gas pipelines — the distribution pipelines. I think there’s 1.3 million miles of distribution mains, another almost a million miles of service lines. And they are front and center with their inspections. We work hard to train them, work cooperatively to share information.” Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08): “How do burdensome environmental regulations and climate mandates in blue states like Colorado actually prevent the safe and consistent maintenance of pipeline infrastructure?” Administrator Roberti: “Well, every time — and this is right now a state-by-state issue — many states are trying to eliminate pipelines...States that are pursuing decarbonization are saying, ‘Hold on, let’s take a time out. We won’t need these pipelines anymore.’ Unfortunately, whether the regulators or the legislators, they’re operating in a world of delusion. These pipelines will be necessary for decades to come.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment sent a letter to David Gadis, the Chief Executive Officer of DC Water requesting information on the failures that led to the spill in the Potomac River and what steps are being taken to ensure it is contained. “The Committee has concerns about how this incident will impact public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism, all of which fall within the Committee’s jurisdiction,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer. “DC Water is responsible for delivering drinking water and wastewater services to communities in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia (DC), as well as the federal government, including operation and maintenance of the 54-mile Potomac Interceptor line. The Committee is requesting documents and information from DC Water about what is already being referred to as ‘one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.’” Key excerpt from the letter: “Public health warnings have been given for people and pets to avoid contact with water from the Potomac River and to avoid fishing, rowing, and other activities in the area.The warnings to avoid the contaminated water come shortly before the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which is centered around the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River, and the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, both of which are expected to attract millions of visitors to the District of Columbia. “An incident of this size and scale presents a significant threat to the public health and welfare of the affected communities, and swift mitigation of these risks is critical. Understanding the nature of how this incident occurred and how future incidents of this scale may be prevented in the future is imperative.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter. BACKGROUND: The letter comes as Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland residents continue to deal with the fallout of the spill that occurred on January 19, 2026, and now has resulted in e. coli levels at the spill site measuring at hundreds of times above EPA safety thresholds. As part of its oversight authority, the Committee is requesting information on what DC Water knew about the risk of a potential spill prior to January, documents discussing why emergency contracting was warranted to repair the pipe, why any approved contracts were not implemented, as well as actions DC Water has taken to address the environmental impacts of the spill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-01), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, and Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, authored ** a letter ** to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requesting a meeting on the concerning evidence detailed in the letter that points to large-scale, ongoing Medicare fraud in Los Angeles County, along with what action is being taken to address the situation.

“The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has an extensive history of digging deeper into matters where program integrity has been compromised. This letter is crucial in our commitment to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health care programs,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith. “Republicans have spent much of this Congress furthering legislation to protect our most vulnerable Americans—especially seniors, but our work is not done. Continued oversight is crucial to uphold the integrity of programs that serve our most vulnerable populations. We applaud the ongoing work being conducted by HHS-OIG in cracking down on the fraud that has occurred, and we look forward to addressing the larger-scale scheme that is draining public resources from Americans who need these services the most.”

“Medicare home health and hospice fraud directly undermines the safety and reliability of care for America’s most vulnerable seniors. Auditors have reported an unprecedented jump in home health and hospice fraud in Los Angeles County, California – including one report showing 112 different hospices located at the same physical address. With $1.2 billion in improper payments in home health claims and the Inspector General reporting $198 million in suspected hospice fraud, Gavin Newsom’s California could just as well be another Minnesota,” said Chairman Smith. “The Ways and Means Committee will not hesitate to use our broad oversight authority to get to the bottom of this and protect taxpayers and vulnerable patients against these bad actors.”

BACKGROUND:

Evidence has strongly suggested large-scale Medicare fraud involving home health agencies (HHA) and hospice agencies in Los Angeles County, California, noting that such practices not only drain public resources but also compromise the quality of care provided to patients, especially those most vulnerable populations.

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) found that the 2023 improper payment error rate for home health claims was 7.7 percent, or about $1.2 billion, in 2023.
• In terms of hospice care, HHS OIG reported suspected hospice fraud to be an estimated $198.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2023.
• CMS has placed HHAs as an area of high risk for Medicare fraud.

Emerging concerns over Medicare fraud in the HHAs and hospice sector highlights heightened activity, specifically in Los Angeles County.

• From 2019 through June 2023, HHAs in the U.S. decreased from 8,838 to 8,280 (6 percent), while, at the same time, HHAs in Los Angeles County increased from 896 to 1,309 (46 percent).
• More than 1,400 new Los Angeles County HHAs enrolled in Medicare in the last five years, representing over 50 percent of all HHAs in the state of California and nearly 14 percent of all HHAs in the country.

Based on data from the March 2022 California State Auditor’s Report and from HHS on hospice ownership, Los Angeles County had more than 31 percent of the hospice agencies in the U.S. in 2022.

• There were approximately 58 million seniors in the U.S. in 2022, with Los Angeles County having approximately 1.49 million seniors (2.5 percent).
• The report highlighted indicators that included a “rapid, disproportionate growth in the number of hospice agencies” and “excessive geographic clustering of hospice agencies,” noting that 112 different licensed hospice agencies were located at the same physical address.
• State auditors in California estimated that hospice agencies in Los Angeles County likely overbilled Medicare by $105 million in 2019.

These accounts of widespread fraud occurring in Los Angeles County’s HHAs and hospice agencies have raised concerns about whether home health and hospice Accrediting Organizations (AO) are effectively examining such organizations at the time of their enrollment in Medicare.

• In November 2024, CMS issued a Quality, Safety, and Oversight memo to surveyors, reminding them to closely inspect hospices’ Medicare enrollment documents to understand changes in ownership and location, but neglecting to encourage AOs to pursue other commonsense antifraud measures.

In April 2025, HHS OIG announced that the Office of Audit Services would compile a report for FY 2026 to identify trends, patterns, and comparisons that could indicate potential vulnerabilities related to new Medicare hospice provider enrollments.

In May 2025, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force—a joint task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including HHS OIG—** announced multiple arrests ** following a multi-year investigation into Armenian Organized Crime, which dismantled five hospices in the greater Los Angeles area.

On November 28, 2025, CMS ** announced ** the Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule, providing comments that suggest an interest in addressing the aforementioned accounts of fraud.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting a briefing to better understand the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent actions and ongoing work to enhance safety within the organ procurement and transplantation system. On Thursday, September 18, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced major efforts to improve safety, transparency, and efficiency within the organ procurement and transplantation system, including the decertification of an organ procurement organization (OPO) for the first time in U.S. history. According to the announcement , the decision was made “after an investigation uncovered years of unsafe practices, poor training, chronic underperformance, understaffing, and paperwork errors.” The Committee has a history of ensuring patient safety remains the highest priority in our organ procurement and transplantation system, as evident from the Committee’s work last Congress on organ transplantation and donation issues as well as its oversight this Congress. As a part of its ongoing investigation, the Committee requests that CMS respond to questions, including those related to the decertification of the OPO in South Florida and the prevalence of incidents similar to those outlined in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) investigative report, to ensure patient safety remains a top priority. Read the full letter HERE . “While the Committee applauds efforts taken by CMS to uphold the highest standards of care to which all OPOs are expected to adhere, HHS’s announcement decertifying the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency illustrates the urgency of this moment and why the subcommittee is not finished with our oversight of the organ transplant system,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce. “It is our moral obligation as members of Congress to establish safeguards and prevent these harmful practices from persisting further, and we look forward to obtaining answers from the agency about the prevalence of these incidents, as well as how CMS plans to proceed with prioritizing patient safety first and foremost.” Background: During the 118th Congress, the Committee on Energy and Commerce led the passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act to both modernize the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and allow HRSA to institute a competitive contracting process to find the best contractors for various OPTN functions. This legislation was signed into law on September 22, 2023.  On March 20, 2024, the Committee launched an investigation into the organ procurement and transplantation system by sending a letter to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) requesting information related to concerns surrounding data security and operability, patient safety and equity, and conflicts of interest.   On March 20, 2024, the Committee also sent a letter to HRSA requesting information related to implementation of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act as well as other concerns related to effective oversight and management.  On September 11, 2024, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing that focused on the implementation of reforms at the OPTN, including the need for stronger oversight and accountability as well as ongoing patient safety concerns.  During the hearing, questions were raised related to allegations of mismanagement and patient safety concerns after patients began exhibiting signs of increased neurologic function after being previously deemed suitable as an organ donation candidate. Several of these allegations, particularly those related to patient safety, were later substantiated through the findings contained in HRSA’s March 2025 report.  On March 24, 2025, HRSA’s Division of Transplantation issued a report that summarized the findings of its investigation into KYDA, the OPO now known as Network for Hope, which serves Kentucky and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.   HRSA’s investigation examined an “index case” and an additional 351 unique cases of authorized, not recovered (ANR) patients. This means that the patients were considered for donation after circulatory death recovery, but no organs were transplanted. The report showed that nearly 30 percent of the cases “had concerning features.” The concerning features included problems with patient-family interactions, medical assessments and team interactions, recognition of high neurologic function, and recognition and documentation of drugs in records.  On May 28, 2025, HRSA issued a corrective action plan to the OPTN, which directed the OTPN to take specific actions within a specified period of time, including developing a 12-month OPTN monitoring plan for KYDA to address concerns identified. The corrective action plan also requires the OPTN to propose policies for public comment to improve safeguards for potential donation after circulatory death (DCD) patients in the organ procurement process and increase information shared with patient families regarding DCD organ procurement.  On July 22, 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing examining concerning practices within our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system that were identified by HRSA’s investigation.  On September 12, 2025, the Committee sent a bipartisan letter to HRSA requesting a briefing on its ongoing oversight of patient safety in our nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. ###