Chronology of Committee Work

Waxman, Durbin Urge Conference Committee to Protect Scientific Research from Cronyism

Rep. Waxman, Sen. Durbin, and more than thirty Members of Congress today urged the Conferees on the FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill to include in the final version of the legislation strong provisions to protect federal science from inappropriate political influence.

Rep. Waxman Introduces Nursing Home Staffing Act of 2005

Rep. Waxman introduces the Nursing Home Staffing Act of 2005, to establish minimum staff requirements for facilities receiving payments under the Medicare or Medicaid Program.

Pelosi and Waxman Request Documents Relating to Abramoff’s Request for $9 Million to Arrange Meeting with Bush

Leader Pelosi and Rep. Waxman write to Harriet Miers, Counsel to the President, requesting that she provide Congress with documents relating to lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s request for $9 million to arrange a meeting between President Bush and Omar Bongo, President of Gabon.

Details of FDA Decision on Plan B Revealed

A new GAO report finds that FDA's denial of Plan B emergency contraception diverged sharply from usual agency procedures and overrode the recommendations of agency scientists. In a letter to HHS Secretary Leavitt, Rep. Waxman and 17 other members deplore the FDA decision and question why former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan did not respond to GAO’s questions, why FDA could not provide written communication or emails from Dr. McClellan's office, and whether the agency is violating federal records management laws.

Rep. Waxman Requests Hearing on FDA's Plan B Decision

Rep. Waxman writes to Chairman Davis asking for hearings on "an egregious example of the politicization of science" -- the decision by FDA to block over-the-counter sales of Plan B, the emergency contraceptive.

Rep. Waxman's Statement on the Investigation into Rafael Palmeiro’s March 17, 2005 Testimony

Rep. Waxman makes a statement as the report on its investigation of Rafael Palmeiro’s March 17, 2005 Testimony is submitted to the Committee.

FDA’s “Unusual” Review of Plan B's Application for Over-the-Counter Sales

In its review of whether emergency contraception should be approved for over-the-counter sales, FDA diverged sharply from usual agency procedures and overrode the recommendations of agency scientists.

Ample Precedent for Congressional Investigation into Disclosure of CIA Agent

In a letter to Chairman Davis, Rep. Waxman renews his request for hearings into the outing of CIA agent Valerie Wilson, citing many precedents for congressional oversight occurring concurrently with a criminal investigation.

Poorly Labeled Rice Beverages Threaten Children's Health

In a letter to FDA, Rep. Waxman expresses concern that excessive consumption of rice-based beverages can cause severe malnutrition among young children. He calls on FDA to ensure appropriate labeling and marketing of these products.

Democrats Request Hearing on DOJ Approval of Georgia Voter Identification Law

In a letter to Chairman Davis, Rep. Clay, Rep. Waxman, and nine other Committee Democrats request hearings on the process through which the Justice Department approved a Georgia voter law that will likely discriminate against black voters.

Rep. Waxman Speaks Out Against Duncan Hunter Resolution

On the House floor, Rep. Waxman speaks against the Republican resolution and calls for answers to long-standing questions about the Administration's use of forged evidence as the cornerstone of the case for war in Iraq. These concerns were raised by Rep. Waxman before the war started in a letter to President Bush on March 17, 2003.

New Medicare Drug Plans Fail to Provide Meaningful Drug Discounts

A new report by Rep. Waxman shows that the drug prices offered by ten leading Medicare drug plans are over 80% higher than federally negotiated prices and over 60% higher than Canadian prices. The Medicare drug plan prices are even higher than the prices available from Drugstore.com and Costco stores.

Rep. Waxman Requests Ban on Smoking in House Buildings

In a letter to the Office of Compliance, Rep. Waxman asks that the Office direct the House Building Commission to ban smoking in House buildings.

New Reports Find Major Flaws in Medicare Drug Card Program

Two new GAO reports released by Rep. Waxman show that the Bush Administration failed in implementing and enforcing virtually every aspect of the Medicare drug card program, calling into question the ability of the Administration to oversee the vastly more complicated Medicare drug benefit.

Rep. Waxman Calls for an Investigation of U.S. Military Efforts to Influence Iraqi Media Coverage

In a letter to Chairman Davis, Rep. Waxman asks that the Committee investigate reports that the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to present positive images of the military and the U.S. mission in Iraq.

New Questions about Payments to Halliburton

In a letter to Chairman Tom Davis, Rep. Waxman discloses that the Army Corps of Engineers has paid Halliburton $130 million in cost reimbursements, profits, and bonuses for billings related to fuel imports and oilfield repairs in Iraq that Defense Department auditors determined to be unreasonable and unsupported.

Democrats Request Hearing on 'Highly Unusual' Events Surrounding DOJ Approval of Texas Redistricting

In a letter to Chairman Davis, Rep. Waxman and Rep. Clay ask that the Committee investigate whether political appointees at DOJ inappropriately overruled the findings of a panel in the Department's Voting Section that Texas's 2003 redistricting might have a discriminatory effect. Rep. Waxman and Rep. Clay asked that this investigation be included in an expansion of a hearing they requested last week on whether DOJ political appointees approved a discriminatory voter-identification law in Georgia.

U.S. Position in International Drug Talks Questioned

Reps. Waxman, Brown, and Allen raise concerns that the US position on access to generic versions of lifesaving pharmaceutical drugs in the current World Trade Organization Ministerial in Hong Kong will undermine global public health.

Rep. Waxman Asks Chairman to Explain Oversight Choices

In a letter to Chairman Davis, Rep. Waxman asks the Chairman to explain his rationale for rejecting requests to investigate the leak of classified information involving CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson and contract abuses at the Department of Homeland Security, while directing the Committee to look into a leak of classified information related to the Philippines and contract abuses involving the District of Columbia.

Rep. Waxman Statement on the President's Speech on Iraq Reconstruction

Rep. Waxman explains that the President's description of "quiet, steady progress" in Iraq’s reconstruction is misleading and ignores the facts. Independent auditors confirm that billions of dollars have been squandered without increasing Iraq’s oil or electricity production. Yet the Administration has done nothing to halt rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq.

For Years, Administration Ignored Warnings That National Disaster Medical System Was Dysfunctional

A report requested by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, and Rep. Charlie Melancon finds that since 2002, the effectiveness of the National Disaster Medical System – a key component of the nation’s emergency response capacity -- has been eroded by mismanagement, bureaucratic reshuffling, and inadequate funding. As a result, when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, the system was unprepared, resulting in major failures in the medical response.

Provision Would Block Public Access to DIA Documents

Rep. Waxman asks the House and Senate Armed Forces Committees to remove a provision in the pending National Defense Authorization Act that would weaken the nation's open government laws by exempting “operational records” of the Defense Intelligence Agency from the Freedom of Information Act.

Rep. Waxman and Chairman Davis Request Information on the Safety of Medical Devices

After several recent reports of patient injuries associated with the use of defective or unsterile reprocessed single-use medical devices, Rep. Waxman and Chairman Davis write to GAO and to FDA's Acting Commissioner von Eschenbach to request information regarding the adequacy of FDA's oversight of these devices, and how it compares that of single-use devices.

Democrats Express Concern About Cheney's Refusal to Disclose Travel Records

Rep. Waxman, Rep. Schakowsky, and other Democrats write to the Vice President to ask that he submit a complete accounting of his own and his staff's travel.

Committee Democrats Ask for Explanation of EPA's Proposed Rollbacks of the Toxics Release Inventory

In a letter to EPA, Reps Lynch, Waxman, and Kucinich express concern about the EPA's proposal to roll back the program that gathers information about industry use and release of toxic chemicals.

Displaying Items 176 to 200 of 202:

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