Chronology of Committee Work

Safety of Drugs for Women

At the request of Rep. Waxman and Senators Tom Harkin, Barbara Mikulski, and Olympia Snowe, GAO reviewed drug products withdrawn from the U.S. market since January 1, 1997. This review revealed that eight of ten prescription drugs withdrawn posed greater risk for women than for men.

Statistics on the Campaign Finance Investigation

During the course of the campaign finance investigation, Rep. Burton issued over 900 unilateral subpoenas, 99% of which targeted Democrats. He also interviewed or deposed hundreds of witnesses and received over a million pages of documents. These – and other – statistics on the investigation have been compiled by the minority staff.

Medicaid Drug Price Manipulation

At Rep. Waxman's request, the Inspector General of HHS and the Special Investigations Division have examined allegiations allegations that drug companies have circumvented the requirement that they provide the Medicaid program with rebates based on their “best” or lowest drug prices.

Child Tobacco Use Prevention Act and FDA Tobacco Jurisdiction Act

Reps. Waxman, James Hansen, and Marty Meehan introduced the Child Tobacco Use Prevention Act of 2001 (H.R. 1044). This comprehensive legislation to reduce tobacco use by children provides FDA the authority to regulate tobacco, establishes performance-based standards to give individual tobacco companies economic incentives to reduce the numbers of children that smoke, creates national requirements for smoke-free environments, and funds a new nationwide public education campaign. Reps. Waxman, Hansen, and Meehan also introduced the FDA Tobacco Jurisdiction Act of 2001 (H.R. 1043). This legislation authorizes the FDA to regulate tobacco products, validates FDA’s tobacco rule, and incorporates some key additional requirements, such as the elimination of the Marlboro Man and other human figures in advertising.

Poor Enforcement of Nursing Home Protections in New York

A report prepared by the Special Investigations Division for Reps. Louise Slaughter and Carolyn Maloney found that the New York State Department of Health has done a poor job of protecting New York's nursing home residents. According to federal inspectors, state inspectors, who are responsible for enforcing federal nursing home standards, committed "egregious omissions" and missed "overwhelming evidence of widespread quality of care problems." Report found that state inspectors often missed disturbing violations, such as the failure to provide proper pain medication or the use of unnecessary physical restraints.

Investigation Finds Loopholes in Gun Background Checks

At the request of Rep. Waxman, the Special Investigations Division and GAO examined the effectiveness of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). As part of this investigation, GAO agents used off-the-shelf software to make counterfeit drivers licenses and then used these false IDs to buy guns in five states: Virginia, West Virginia, Montana, New Mexico, and Arizona. The agents were successful in all five states. As part of the investigation, GAO issued its own report concluding that the instant background check system cannot ensure that prospective purchasers are not felons or others ineligible to buy guns.

Rep. Waxman Awards the “Golden Jackpot” Award to EPA Administrator Christine Whitman

Rep. Waxman presented the Golden Jackpot Award to EPA Adminstrator Christine Whitman in honor of the Bush Administration´s indefensible decision to revoke the arsenic standard.

Reports on Arsenic Contamination of Drinking Water

At the request of several members, the Special Investigations Division has prepared reports that analyze the impact of the arsenic rollback at the state level.

Reports Assess Impact of Worker Safety Rollbacks

A series of reports prepared by the Special Investigations Division of the minority staff investigates the impact of these worker safety rollbacks at the state level.

West Coast Democrats Ask President to Intervene at FERC

Forty-two West Coast Democrats wrote to President Bush requesting that he intervene at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The FERC has refused to protect Western families from skyrocketing electricity prices or to act on allegations of price gouging in the wholesale electricity market.

Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act

Reps. Tom Allen and Henry Waxman, along with over 100 other members of Congress, introduced the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act (H.R. 1400). This bill will protect seniors from price discrimination and allow Medicare beneficiaries to purchase drugs at substantially reduced prices. The legislation achieves these goals by allowing pharmacies that serve Medicare beneficiaries to purchase drugs at the low “average foreign price.” A bill similar to H.R. 1400, H.R. 664, was introduced by Reps. Allen, Turner, and Waxman in the 106th Congress.

Rep. Waxman Introduces Legislation to Reverse the Bush Administration Rollback

Rep. Waxman has introduced the "Get Arsenic Out of Our Drinking Water Act" (H.R. 1413) to reverse the arsenic rollback. Over 160 members of Congress have cosponsored this legislation.

Investigation Finds Detroit Election Reforms Worked

At the request of Rep. Waxman, the Special Investigations Division conducted a case study of efforts to reduce uncounted ballots in Detroit, the nation's poorest city. The investigation found that Detroit's reforms worked. By replacing punch-card machines and conducting voter education, Detroit reduced the percent of uncounted votes for president by two-thirds between 1996 and 2000. The report was released during a “Special Investigations Briefing” on April 5, 2001.

Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act

Reps. Waxman and Tom Allen, along with over 100 other members of Congress, introduced the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act (H.R. 1400). This bill will protect seniors from price discrimination and allow Medicare beneficiaries to purchase drugs at substantially reduced prices. The legislation achieves these goals by allowing pharmacies that serve Medicare beneficiaries to purchase drugs at the low “average foreign price.”

Protesting FERC Decision to Order Release of Confidential Contracts

Rep. Waxman wrote a letter protesting FERC’s decision to order power suppliers to produce copies of confidential contracts with California for disclosure to the Government Reform Committee. Rep. Waxman warned that revealing the terms of the contracts “would severely undermine [California’s] position in negotiating additional contracts."

White House Asked for Information on Energy Task Force Operations

Rep. Waxman and Rep. Dingell wrote to Andrew Lundquist, the executive director of the White House's energy task force, asking for information on the task force's operations. President Bush established the task force in January under the Vice President's leadership, and entrusted it with the task of developing a national energy policy. Also on April 19, Reps. Waxman and Dingell wrote to the General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, asking it to investigate the conduct, operations, and funding of the task force. The congressional investigation of the task force was prompted by news reports that the task force had met privately with major campaign contributors, such as Kenneth Lay, the CEO of Enron, to discuss energy policy. According to these reports, major Republican contributors attended private sessions with Vice President Cheney and the task force met secretly with other contributors in formulating the President's National Energy Policy.

Companies Profit from California’s Energy Crisis

At the request of Rep. Waxman, the Special Investigations Division prepared a report which documents the extraordinary revenues and profits that out-of-state energy generators doing business in California recorded last year. On average, their company-wide profits more than doubled from 1999 to 2000. In some cases, operating income from their California subsidiaries or operating units increased tenfold or more.

The Provisional Summary Records (Minutes)

The Textual Proposals

Rep. Waxman Compiles California Electricity Crisis Myths

There is a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding about California’s electricity crisis. Rep. Waxman has compiled a number of myths about the crisis, and he explains here why they are erroneous. Rep. Waxman further explains why H.R. 1647, the "Electricity Emergency Relief Act," a bill being considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee which purports to address California’s needs, is inadequate, and why his “Price Gouging and Blackout Prevention Amendment” is needed.

Flaws of the “Electricity Emergency Relief Act”

The "Electricity Emergency Relief Act" being drafted by Rep. Joe Barton is intended to help California address the current electricity crisis. Unfortunately, the legislation, if enacted, would exacerbate California's problems by increasing energy costs, undermining state efforts to respond to the electricity crisis, and weakening important environmental protections.

Counsel to Vice President Refuses to Turn Over Task Force Records

David Addington, counsel to Vice President Cheney, responded with a letter to Reps. Tauzin and Burton in which he refused to identify whom the task force had met with or who served on the task force staff. Mr. Addington also declined to turn over records produced or received by the task force in connection with its meetings with outside groups.

Concern Over White House's Refusal to Provide Basic Information on Energy Task Force

Reps. Waxman and Dingell again wrote to Mr. Lundquist expressing their concern over the White House's refusal to provide basic information about the task force and reiterating their desire to obtain this information.

Counsel to Vice President Questions GAO Investigation

Counsel to the Vice President Addington wrote to GAO asking whether GAO's investigation was appropriate, legal and productive. Mr. Addington suggested that the investigation might intrude into "Executive deliberations."

Members File Suit to Compel Release of Adjusted 2000 Census Data

Sixteen committee members file suit in federal court in Los Angeles against the Secretary of Commerce to compel the Administration to release adjusted 2000 census data.

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