News

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. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and two Subcommittee Markups. Read more below. SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a markup of 28 bills to streamline broadband permitting. DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing to examine the risks and benefits of AI chatbots. DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 2025  TIME: 2:00 PM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will hold a markup of eight bills to reform appliance and building policies. DATE: Wednesday, November 19, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade is holding a hearing to examine time, travel, and tourism. DATE: Thursday, November 20, 2025  TIME: 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, 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 Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting an assessment of available or emerging technologies and materials that could be used to supplement critical minerals in semiconductors. “Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements are essential for technologies used in many sectors of the economy, including energy, transportation, national defense, health care, and consumer electronics,” said Chairmen Joyce and Palmer . “These minerals are vulnerable to supply-chain disruptions for several reasons, including U.S. reliance on foreign sources, as well as the rapid growth in demand for critical minerals in the U.S. and abroad.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter. The letter asks the GAO to examine: The status of domestic technologies and supplemental materials, such as critical minerals found in mine waste, tailings, or reclaimed from end-of-life batteries and electronic waste, that can serve as substitutes for foreign-sourced critical minerals from non-allied nations needed for semiconductors and energy grid or power electronics, including impacts on material and product performance. Key technological challenges to the development or adoption of these domestic supplemental and materials to advance the diversification of U.S. critical mineral sources. BACKGROUND: In May, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on ways to enhance our critical mineral supply chains. Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to strengthening our critical mineral supply chains and finding solutions to reduce our reliance on foreign sources, particularly when it comes to foreign adversaries like China. The Trump Administration has also worked hard to bolster these supply chains. Critical minerals are essential to American technologies and industries, and finding innovative domestic solutions that can contribute to our independence from non-allied nations is essential as we work to onshore American innovation and strengthen our national security. ###

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, announced a hearing titled Innovation with Integrity: Examining the Risks and Benefits of AI Chatbots. “The rapid advancement of AI holds tremendous promise for the future, but recent stories about AI chatbots’ interactions with users have raised serious concerns about the potential impact of chatbot use on the health and wellbeing of those who engage with these platforms,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Joyce. “While some AI chatbot providers have taken steps to address these concerns, additional oversight is needed to better understand risks to users when interacting with these technologies. This hearing will allow the Committee to examine the risks, what safeguards are in place, and how to ensure users—especially children and teens—can stay safe while using chatbots. We must continue working to facilitate AI innovation and global leadership in new technologies while also guarding against compromises to the safety and wellbeing of online users.” Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing titled Innovation with Integrity: Examining the Risks and Benefits of AI Chatbots. WHAT: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing investigating the safety of AI chatbots. DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Jackson Rudden at Jackson.Rudden@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov . ###

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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin requesting information on how far-left organizations received billions of dollars in the final days of the previous administration through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).  “In the final days of the Biden-Harris Administration, the EPA put their far-left allies ahead of the American people, giving away Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants worth nearly $30 billion to recipients who were not equipped to receive such large amounts of funding,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Joyce, and Palmer. “By requesting documentation about this grant process from the EPA, Republicans on the Committee on Energy and Commerce are continuing our work to root out waste, fraud, and abuse while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”  This letter follows requests sent to eight nonprofits who were awarded more than $20 billion earlier this year through the GGRF. Key excerpt from the letter: “The Committee finds the potential for financial mismanagement particularly worrisome, as some of the grantees’ previous revenues were only a small fraction of the GGRF funds they received, which raises questions about whether the grant recipients can adequately manage grant amounts that are significantly larger than their previously documented revenue.” “The Committee seeks to ensure that the federal government is a good steward of taxpayer dollars and to continue supporting EPA’s efforts in combatting waste, fraud, and abuse within the GGRF program. To assist with the Subcommittee’s investigation of GGRF and support the Administration’s efforts, the Committee requests the following documents no later than November 19, 2025: The complete grant file for the three NCIF grantees and the five CCIA grantees, including the application submitted by the organization with all supporting documentation and appendices, any additional information requested by EPA, and any memos on changes to the grant terms and conditions. The scoring breakdown and rational for each score for all the NCIF and CCIA applicants included in the final rankings lists for the top-ranked applications, including any changes to scoring or rescores and rationale for why those changes occurred. Any checklist or guidance for EPA grants employees on what steps they should be taking to conduct appropriate pre-award due diligence and to ensure all required paperwork and documentation is submitted and verified. This should include briefing materials used to advise the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Chief of Staff, General Counsel, Associate Administrator for Mission Support, and Associate Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation about the selection of NCIF grantees and CCIA grantees. Any reports received from Citibank or the U.S. Treasury regarding the account balances or transactions histories of the GGRF accounts for the three NCIF grantees and the five CCIA grantees and any of their sub-awardees. Any progress reports received from the three NCIF grantees and the five CCIA grantees. The names of all panel chairs, senior review panels, selection officials, and all individuals involved in the review panels for all the NCIF and CCIA applicants included in the final rankings lists for the top-ranked applications.” Background: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create and implement a $27 billion GGRF program. Of this appropriation, $20 billion was awarded to just eight grant recipients; with $14 billion awarded to three grant recipients under the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) program and $6 billion awarded to five grant recipients under the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) program.  CLICK HERE to read the full letter. Read More About this Ongoing Investigation: “SCOOP: Biden-era grant program described as ‘gold bar’ scheme by Trump EPA administrator under scrutiny” –   Fox News “EXCLUSIVE: Key Committee Demands Docs in Biden ‘Gold Bars’ Probe” – Daily Caller ###

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 Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, sent a letter to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker following the recent announcement that student athletes and athletic department staff will be allowed to bet on professional sports. KEY EXCERPTS: “The Committee on Energy and Commerce is examining the NCAA’s recent policy change permitting student athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports.” [...] To assist the Committee in its oversight, we request a briefing by no later than November 13, 2025, that addresses the following: Why is the NCAA changing its policy allowing student athletes to bet on professional sports? Has the NCAA conducted any studies, analyses, or reviews of the impact of gambling on student athletes? If so, what are the results? What role did they play in the NCAA’s decision to allow student athletes to bet on professional sports? How does this change allow the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to better protect the integrity of college games and encourage healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports? How is the NCAA engaging with athletic conferences, member institutions, and teams to address questions and concerns about this rule change? Amid recent allegations of illegal sports betting among student athletes and concerns expressed by member institutions, is NCAA reconsidering implementation of the policy? What guardrails are in place to prevent the type of illegal sports betting activity that is allegedly occurring in the NCAA and NBA, considering that some student athletes will go on to become professional athletes? Please provide details about any fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NCAA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NCAA players identified in recent infraction decisions; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above. Please describe the NCAA’s “layered integrity monitoring program,” for maintaining competition integrity and pursuing sports betting violations. What gaps, if any, are in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur in college sports? BACKGROUND: On October 24, 2025, the Committee on Energy and Commerce launched its investigation into sports fixing and illegal gambling after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) unsealed indictments of current and former NBA players and coaches. An initial announcement stated that, effective November 1, 2025, student athletes and athletic department staff in all three NCAA divisions would be permitted to bet on professional sports. A few days before the policy change was supposed to take effect, the Division I Board of Directors voted to delay implementation of the rule change across all three divisions to November 22, 2025. A recent NCAA press release stated that “enforcement staff has opened investigations into potential sports betting violations by approximately 30 current or former men's basketball student-athletes.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr., (NJ-06), along with Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) and Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), and Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Chairman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), sent a letter to National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver following the recent announcement that current and former NBA players and coaches have been indicted on charges relating to sports fixing and illegal gambling. KEY EXCERPT: These allegations raise serious concerns about sports betting and the integrity of sport in the NBA, which harms fans and legal sports bettors. [...] To assist the Committee in its oversight, we request a briefing by no later than October 31, 2025, that addresses the following:  Details about the fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NBA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches identified in the recent indictment; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above.  Actions the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of nonpublic information for illegal purposes. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for players and coaches effectively prohibits illegal activity, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. An explanation of the gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. Whether and how the NBA is reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies. BACKGROUND: According to the unsealed indictment, current and former NBA players and coaches allegedly used insider information to place or profit from bets on NBA games. The federal indictment’s allegations of illegal betting span incidents of fraudulent wagering from December 2022 to March 2024 and involve defendants and co-conspirators residing across the United States. In 2023, it is alleged that Miami Heat player Terry Rozier left a game early to facilitate a co-conspirator’s winning bet, which produced hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings to be split with Mr. Rozier. Another co-conspirator, former NBA player Damon Jones, is alleged to have gained access to non-public information on NBA players and teams, which he then sold to professional gamblers. Other unnamed co-conspirators are alleged to have passed along insider information as well, such as which players would not be playing in an upcoming game. In 2007, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to federal charges for using insider information to bet on games he officiated. Last year, Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA for life after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy due to his involvement in a sports betting scandal. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. CLICK HERE to read ESPN's exclusive coverage of the letter.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent letters to Pam Bondi, U.S. Attorney General, Andrew Ferguson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, urging the administration to investigate and address potential national security risks posed by BrainCo, a neural technology company allegedly funded by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). KEY EXCERPTS: “The Committee on Energy and Commerce has long warned about the national and economic security risks of CCP-aligned entities accessing Americans’ personal and proprietary information. The use of American data by CCP-aligned entities, such as BrainCo, to develop and deploy AI underscores our concerns. […] The Committee urges swift action to investigate and address the potential national and economic security risks posed by BrainCo’s operations in the United States and its access to Americans’ personal information.” BACKGROUND: According to recent reporting , the company was started by MIT and Harvard scientists but has “been quietly backed by the Chinese government-linked entities for nearly a decade.”  BrainCo products reportedly harvest personalized brainwave data from users.  BrainCo is reportedly working with sanctioned PRC military contractors.  BrainCo products reportedly have been used by Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, number two world tennis player, Jannik Sinner, U.S. Olympic teams, and many others.  Along with DeepSeek , BrainCo is considered one of China’s “Six Little Dragons” — meaning one of the CCP’s most promising young tech startups. The PRC’s National Intelligence Law of 2017 requires PRC individuals and entities to support PRC intelligence services. CLICK HERE to read exclusive coverage of the letter. CLICK HERE to read the Hunterbrook Media story on their investigation into BrainCo. CLICK HERE to listen to the corresponding Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast episode. CLICK HERE to read the letters to Attorney General Bondi, Chairman Ferguson, and Secretary Lutnick. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, the Washington Examiner published an article featuring a letter from House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), along with Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), and Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), requesting a briefing on HRSA’s ongoing oversight of patient safety in the nation’s organ procurement and transplant system. In Case You Missed It: “House Republicans and Democrats are pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to increase transparency on possible ‘systemic problems’ and ‘threats to patient safety’ in the national organ transplant system, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Examiner. “Bipartisan leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to Health Resources and Services Administrator Thomas Engels on Friday, probing whether the agency is able to conduct a wide-ranging review of patient safety after multiple reported incidents of organ donor patients being egregiously mistreated by organ procurement organizations. “Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), along with ranking Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ), John Joyce (R-PA), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), said in a joint statement on Tuesday that their investigation into the organ procurement system ‘has demonstrated the need for further oversight’ and that problems may exist nationwide. “The American people should be able to have full faith and confidence in our organ donor and transplant system, and we will continue to work together to prevent these harmful practices from continuing,’ said the bipartisan representatives in their statement. “The Energy and Commerce Committee began its longer-term investigation testimony last fall about a Kentucky patient, Anthony Thomas Hoover II, whose family agreed to proceed with organ donation following an overdose in 2021. “Although Hoover’s neurological condition improved, representatives from the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, the organ procurement organization serving Kentucky, moved forward with the organ retrieval process. Records indicate that Hoover woke up on the operating table before the retrieval surgery, and hospital staff intervened to stop the procedure. “HRSA, which oversees the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and its contractor organ procurement organizations, conducted its own internal investigation into the Kentucky situation following the revelation of Hoover’s case. “The HRSA corrective action plan, issued in May, examined 351 organ procurement cases in Kentucky between December 2024 and February 2025 that did not result in donation. “About 30% of those cases, 103 patients, presented ‘concerning features,’ including 73 patients who showed neurological signs of life after being approved for organ donation surgery and 28 patients who may have survived entirely since there was no cardiac time of death recorded. “Other ‘concerning features’ of the incidents in the HRSA report, according to Guthrie and his House colleagues, include ‘issues related to patient and family interactions, medical assessments and healthcare team interactions, recognition of high neurological function, and recognition and documentation of drugs in patient records.’ “HRSA’s testimony and other public reports suggest that these patterns are not limited to instances detailed in HRSA’s report and may exist in other parts of the country,’ Guthrie and his colleagues wrote. “The bipartisan representatives in their letter cited a New York Times piece published in August about Misty Hawkins, 42, from Alabama, who was taken off life support in the spring of 2024 and prepped for organ donation. Doctors discovered while she was on the operating table that her heart was still beating and she was breathing during her organ retrieval surgery. “Last week, another story came to light of a 22-year-old patient from Kentucky who, in 2019, was taken to surgery to have his organs removed for donation despite still having a heartbeat and not being declared brain dead. “Larry Black Jr., who arrived at the hospital a week prior due to a gunshot wound to the head, was rescued from surgery just in time by another physician. Now at 28, he is a father to three children. “HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed HRSA in July to conduct a deeper investigation into the Kentucky organ procurement case, saying that ‘the entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves.’ “But the agency has not yet announced plans for a nationwide review of organ transplant systems. “Guthrie and his House colleagues requested that HRSA provide more information on the current status of all patient safety complaints that the agency has received and whether or not HRSA has the capacity ‘to initiate other wide-ranging reviews appropriate, in response to a patient safety complaint that may suggest a systemic problem.’ “The committee requested a staff-level briefing no later than September 26. “Americans’ confidence in the system comes when patient safety is protected,’ said the bipartisan House coalition.”   ###