Oversight & Investigations

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, sent a letter to Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman questioning the university's compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws—particularly Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The letter comes amid growing concerns that Columbia, which receives Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements and got  $690 million+ in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants in FY2024 , has repeatedly failed to protect Jewish students, faculty, and patients from antisemitic harassment and discrimination, even though Columbia is required to do so as a recipient of federal funds and under the July 2025 agreement with the U.S. government. Some of the most glaring examples of deficiencies in Columbia’s attitude toward mitigating antisemitism that have raised concerns include: Withholding information  from a court-appointed federal Resolution Monitor; Deposition testimony  of the former Acting President (now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Columbia Medical); A failing grade in a national December 2025  campus antisemitism report ; and A broader culture of antisemitism potentially exacerbated by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s  recent reversal   of the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Chairman Guthrie issued the following statement in response to the Committee’s findings: “The Committee is troubled by recent reports and allegations raising questions about Columbia University’s willingness to uphold its commitments to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff,”   said Chairman Guthrie.   “The fact that Columbia receives hundreds of millions of dollars from HHS and its subagencies, coupled with the serious concerns regarding its compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws, demonstrates that further oversight is needed. This Committee will continue to hold such institutions accountable that repeatedly foster environments of discrimination and harassment.” BACKGROUND: In May 2024, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce  opened investigations  into the extent to which HHS and NIH are ensuring that institutions receiving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars from HHS or NIH are complying with relevant federal civil rights laws and are providing safe environments for all, particularly those individuals of Jewish ancestry. In September 2024, the Committees  launched investigations  into incidents of antisemitism at three NIH-funded institutions, including Columbia University, as well as their medical schools and associated health care systems, and the Gladstone Institutes, an independent research institution. In October 2024, the Committees also  opened investigations  into the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an independent agency within NIH that has funded more than $595 million in biomedical and health research at institutions and organizations in 2024. The Committees’  investigation found  that HHS, NIH, and HHS OCR failed to act in the wake of emerging antisemitism across college campuses, medical schools, and medical systems. Prior HHS leadership refused to cooperate with congressional inquiries into their actions—or lack thereof—or require federal taxpayer-funded institutions to comply with civil rights laws and prevent antisemitism at their institutions. Today, the Committee is requesting that Columbia provide a comprehensive accounting of discrimination and harassment complaints, investigations, and outcomes since January 2023, including: Specific reporting of how many complaints involved antisemitism and how many were related or connected to individuals or institutions at Columbia that received NIH-funded grants; Details on the role and level of engagement in anti-discrimination compliance oversight of Dr. Katrina Armstrong, CEO of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center; and Information on how Columbia protects and supports victims of violations of federal anti-discrimination laws, including anonymous complainants, and whether tenure can be revoked for substantiated violations of federal anti-discrimination laws. CLICK HERE  to read the full letter.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-04), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36), Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, issued the following statement after the White House released a  federal AI framework . “AI has begun to demonstrate its potential to improve Americans’ lives. To ensure we continue to harness its potential and beat China in the global AI race, Congress must take action. Today, the Trump Administration took a critical step in releasing a framework that gives Congress a roadmap to pursue legislation that provides innovators with much-needed certainty, while protecting consumers and prioritizing kids’ online safety. House Republicans look forward to working across the aisle to enact a national framework that unleashes the full potential of AI, cements the U.S. as the global leader, and provides important protections for American families.” ###

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 Garney Companies, Inc., a contractor that was under consideration for an Emergency Master Service Agreement with DC Water to rehabilitate the Potomac Interceptor (PI) sewer line prior to its collapse on January 19, 2026.  “The collapsed portion of DC Water’s PI sewer line has resulted in what has been called ‘one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.’ The consequences of this spill continue to be evaluated, and the Committee remains concerned by the potential impacts to public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism,”  said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer.  “The resilience of our wastewater infrastructure systems remains critical, and the Committee aims to understand what risks were determined prior to this incident and how future incidents may be prevented.”   Key excerpt from the letter:   “As part of its investigation, the Committee continues to obtain information from entities and individuals with knowledge that is relevant to this incident. According to the DC Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors, Garney Companies, Inc (Garney) was under consideration for a potential Emergency Master Service Agreement for the PI rehabilitation, which was anticipated to begin on May 15, 2025. However, the contract was never finalized. The Committee is requesting information related to this contract and any additional information that your company may have related to the site of the PI wastewater collapse prior to the incident.   “It is the Committee’s understanding that the potential agreement between DC Water and   Garney would have covered a period of two years. The purpose of this contract was stated to   ‘[p]rovide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to   rehabilitate and provide redundancy for the Potomac Interceptor.’ Additionally, the project   scope included a number of repairs and upgrades to improve the reliability of this critical   Infrastructure.”   CLICK HERE   to read the full letter.  Background:   The Committee launched its investigation into the Potomac Interceptor collapse on February 20, 2026. Today’s letter to Garney represents the next step in uncovering what went wrong.   DC Water was considering an Emergency Master Service Agreement with Garney to “provide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to rehabilitate and provide redundancy” for the PI. That contract was anticipated to begin May 15, 2025, but the contract was never finalized.   The January 19, 2026, collapse of the PI sewer line has been called one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, with consequences for public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism still being evaluated.   The Committee is requesting all documents and communications related to Garney’s proposal, the unimplemented emergency contract, and information related to the collapse site prior to the incident—seeking to understand what risks were known beforehand and how future incidents can be prevented.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, sent a letter to Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman questioning the university's compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws—particularly Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The letter comes amid growing concerns that Columbia, which receives Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements and got  $690 million+ in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants in FY2024 , has repeatedly failed to protect Jewish students, faculty, and patients from antisemitic harassment and discrimination, even though Columbia is required to do so as a recipient of federal funds and under the July 2025 agreement with the U.S. government. Some of the most glaring examples of deficiencies in Columbia’s attitude toward mitigating antisemitism that have raised concerns include: Withholding information  from a court-appointed federal Resolution Monitor; Deposition testimony  of the former Acting President (now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Columbia Medical); A failing grade in a national December 2025  campus antisemitism report ; and A broader culture of antisemitism potentially exacerbated by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s  recent reversal   of the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Chairman Guthrie issued the following statement in response to the Committee’s findings: “The Committee is troubled by recent reports and allegations raising questions about Columbia University’s willingness to uphold its commitments to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff,”   said Chairman Guthrie.   “The fact that Columbia receives hundreds of millions of dollars from HHS and its subagencies, coupled with the serious concerns regarding its compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws, demonstrates that further oversight is needed. This Committee will continue to hold such institutions accountable that repeatedly foster environments of discrimination and harassment.” BACKGROUND: In May 2024, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce  opened investigations  into the extent to which HHS and NIH are ensuring that institutions receiving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars from HHS or NIH are complying with relevant federal civil rights laws and are providing safe environments for all, particularly those individuals of Jewish ancestry. In September 2024, the Committees  launched investigations  into incidents of antisemitism at three NIH-funded institutions, including Columbia University, as well as their medical schools and associated health care systems, and the Gladstone Institutes, an independent research institution. In October 2024, the Committees also  opened investigations  into the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an independent agency within NIH that has funded more than $595 million in biomedical and health research at institutions and organizations in 2024. The Committees’  investigation found  that HHS, NIH, and HHS OCR failed to act in the wake of emerging antisemitism across college campuses, medical schools, and medical systems. Prior HHS leadership refused to cooperate with congressional inquiries into their actions—or lack thereof—or require federal taxpayer-funded institutions to comply with civil rights laws and prevent antisemitism at their institutions. Today, the Committee is requesting that Columbia provide a comprehensive accounting of discrimination and harassment complaints, investigations, and outcomes since January 2023, including: Specific reporting of how many complaints involved antisemitism and how many were related or connected to individuals or institutions at Columbia that received NIH-funded grants; Details on the role and level of engagement in anti-discrimination compliance oversight of Dr. Katrina Armstrong, CEO of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center; and Information on how Columbia protects and supports victims of violations of federal anti-discrimination laws, including anonymous complainants, and whether tenure can be revoked for substantiated violations of federal anti-discrimination laws. CLICK HERE  to read the full letter.

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 Garney Companies, Inc., a contractor that was under consideration for an Emergency Master Service Agreement with DC Water to rehabilitate the Potomac Interceptor (PI) sewer line prior to its collapse on January 19, 2026.  “The collapsed portion of DC Water’s PI sewer line has resulted in what has been called ‘one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.’ The consequences of this spill continue to be evaluated, and the Committee remains concerned by the potential impacts to public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism,”  said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer.  “The resilience of our wastewater infrastructure systems remains critical, and the Committee aims to understand what risks were determined prior to this incident and how future incidents may be prevented.”   Key excerpt from the letter:   “As part of its investigation, the Committee continues to obtain information from entities and individuals with knowledge that is relevant to this incident. According to the DC Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors, Garney Companies, Inc (Garney) was under consideration for a potential Emergency Master Service Agreement for the PI rehabilitation, which was anticipated to begin on May 15, 2025. However, the contract was never finalized. The Committee is requesting information related to this contract and any additional information that your company may have related to the site of the PI wastewater collapse prior to the incident.   “It is the Committee’s understanding that the potential agreement between DC Water and   Garney would have covered a period of two years. The purpose of this contract was stated to   ‘[p]rovide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to   rehabilitate and provide redundancy for the Potomac Interceptor.’ Additionally, the project   scope included a number of repairs and upgrades to improve the reliability of this critical   Infrastructure.”   CLICK HERE   to read the full letter.  Background:   The Committee launched its investigation into the Potomac Interceptor collapse on February 20, 2026. Today’s letter to Garney represents the next step in uncovering what went wrong.   DC Water was considering an Emergency Master Service Agreement with Garney to “provide program management, preconstruction and emergency construction services to rehabilitate and provide redundancy” for the PI. That contract was anticipated to begin May 15, 2025, but the contract was never finalized.   The January 19, 2026, collapse of the PI sewer line has been called one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, with consequences for public health, safe drinking water, the environment, interstate commerce, and tourism still being evaluated.   The Committee is requesting all documents and communications related to Garney’s proposal, the unimplemented emergency contract, and information related to the collapse site prior to the incident—seeking to understand what risks were known beforehand and how future incidents can be prevented.  ###

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, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, are continuing their ongoing investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse within Medicaid programs by sending letters to ten additional states to request information and documents on the actions each state is taking to strengthen Medicaid program integrity. These requests come amidst reports and law enforcement actions that have demonstrated high levels of Medicaid fraud across numerous states. For example, in Massachusetts, a woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently billing MassHealth for $500,000 in Personal Care Attendant, home health, and adult foster care services after enrolling disabled, elderly, and homeless people in services without their knowledge or consent and billing Medicaid as their caretaker despite not providing these services. In Colorado, two individuals were charged in separate cases for defrauding Health First Colorado’s non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program. The first defendant allegedly billed over $1 million in NEMT rides—$400,000 of which were billed for rides for herself and family members, and most of which were not associated with transportation to medical appointments. The second defendant billed Health First Colorado for $3.3 million in NEMT rides, including $283,000 for 64 rides for a single beneficiary, $165,000 of which occurred after the beneficiary had died. In Oregon, a woman was sentenced to federal prison for using stolen identities to submit fraudulent health care claims to Oregon’s Medicaid Program, totaling over $3 million and triggering $1.5 million in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements. In New York, two individuals involved in a Brooklyn-based scheme involving adult day cares and home health  pleaded guilty   to $68 million in Medicaid fraud over a seven-year period. In addition, two men in Queens who owned adult daycare centers and a pharmacy  were recently charged  with $120 million in alleged Medicaid and Medicare fraud schemes. This included illegal kickbacks to Medicaid recipients to fill prescriptions at their pharmacies and enroll in their adult day care. It’s no secret that Medicaid fraud schemes have possibly cost the program billions of dollars annually across the country. These schemes contribute greatly to rising health care costs and strain our health care system, all at the expense of Medicaid beneficiaries and taxpayers. The Committee on Energy and Commerce is committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our government health programs like Medicaid to ensure Americans who need them get the quality, affordable care they deserve. Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Griffith issued the following statements regarding the ongoing investigation: “Fraud shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It's our most vulnerable Americans who are most at risk from fraudsters diverting precious resources intended for critical, needed care , ” said Chairman Guthrie. “ We owe it to our fellow Americans to preserve the Medicaid program for those that need it most, and states have an important role to play in ensuring that Medicaid programs operate with integrity. The Committee will continue to combat rampant waste, fraud, and abuse across the entire country.” "Medicaid was established to ensure the most vulnerable Americans are never left behind. That is why fraud and abuse within Medicaid will not be tolerated. Medicaid fraud robs both taxpayers and patients, and we will pursue it wherever it hides," said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. "Expanding this investigation is part of our responsibility in Congress to ensure that the government upholds the standards it was created to serve. Our Committee will work diligently to strengthen the integrity of the Medicaid system and to ensure that those who engage in fraudulent misuse or abuse are held fully accountable." “Americans support federal health care programs that serve American communities, not fraudsters! Led by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, this latest series of letters is the next step in our investigations to protect our social safety net programs and secure them for the most vulnerable Americans,” said Rep. Griffith. “Republicans in Congress will continue to do the necessary legwork to investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within our Medicaid system.” BACKGROUND: In January, 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, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, wrote to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the Temporary Commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, Shireen Gandhi, requesting communications, documents, and information to better understand the ongoing Medicaid fraud occurring in the state of Minnesota and actions the state is taking to strengthen program integrity. On February 3, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid . During this hearing, expert witnesses testified on common examples of Medicaid fraud schemes and the potential scale of fraud in Medicaid programs nationwide. Now, as part of the Committee’s ongoing efforts to address Medicaid fraud, the Committee sent letters to CA , CO , MA , ME , NE , NY , OR , PA , VT , and WA . Each of these states displayed concerning cases of Medicaid fraud over the last several years. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the extent of fraud in state Medicaid programs and understand what states are doing to address the issue and protect the integrity of Medicaid for Americans. Read More About this Ongoing Investigation: CLICK HERE to read the New York Post's exclusive coverage of the letter.