Congressional Oversight 2019: Calendar of Committee Hearings

After two years of congressional neglect, the new House majority of 2019 plans to use its subpoena power to demand information and investigate the administration. With American Oversight’s Parallel Investigations initiative, we have already begun filing FOIA requests that mirror what Congress is asking for, and we’re ready to go to court to prevent the administration from ducking accountability.

Here are some upcoming planned congressional hearings and information about American Oversight’s concurrent investigations.

February 28

Michael Cohen testimony, House Intelligence Committee (closed door)
After postponing his originally scheduled February 7 appearance before the Oversight Committee “due to ongoing threats against his family,” former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen has agreed to appear before the Intelligence Committee for closed testimony.

March 6

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, House Homeland Security Committee

March 7

U.S. Customs and Border Protection hiring practices, House Homeland Security Committee

March 15

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross testimony, House Oversight and Reform Committee
The committee plans to question Ross about his role in the decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, which a federal judge ruled in January was in violation of the law. American Oversight, along with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, sued the Justice Department for records regarding the department’s recommendation to Ross to include the question. Released documents indicate that Ross himself had privately asked DOJ to make the request. American Oversight has also been investigating Ross’ numerous potential conflicts of interests and ethics issues.

Past Hearings

January 15

Shutdown Impacts on Indian Country and the Environment, House Natural Resources Committee
Chair Raúl Grijalva held a hearing on the government shutdown’s impact on public lands and tribal communities.

January 29

Department of Defense’s Support to the Southern Border, House Armed Services Committee
Chair Adam Smith is looking into into the decision to send troops to the southern border, which American Oversight began investigating in late 2018 after U.S. border agents fired tear gas on a group of Central American asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. Read more here.

Examining the Actions of Drug Companies in Raising Prescription Drug Prices, House Oversight and Reform Committee
The committee is investigating the practices that prescription drug companies have employed in raising drug prices.

H.R. 1, House Judiciary Committee
The For the People Act, also known as H.R.1, will receive its first hearing in the Judiciary Committee. The anti-corruption bill contains measures related to campaign-finance laws, electoral reform, presidential ethics requirements, and voting rights.

Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions, House Ways and Means Committee

February 6

H.R. 1, House Oversight and Reform Committee
The committee will hold its hearing on the sweeping anti-corruption legislation.

Gun Violence Prevention, House Judiciary Committee

February 7

Investing in Nation’s Infrastructure, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Legislative Proposals and Tax Law Related to Presidential and Vice Presidential Tax Returns, House Ways and Means Committee

Family-Separation Policy, House Energy and Commerce (10:30 a.m.)

February 8

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker testimony, House Judiciary Committee
Whitaker will finally appear before the committee, and is expected to be questioned on his communications with the White House and on his decision not to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation. We’ve also been investigating Whitaker’s conflicts of interest and his ethical obligations. See our post-hearing write-up here.

February 12

“Wasted Energy: DOE’s Inaction on Efficiency Standards,” House Energy and Commerce Committee (10 a.m.)

Family-Separation Policy, House Judiciary Committee (10 a.m.) [postponed]

February 13

“Strengthening Our Health Care System,” House Energy and Commerce Committee (10:30 a.m.)

“Putting U.S. Aviation at Risk: The Impact of the Shutdown,” House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (10 a.m.)

“Defending Our Democracy: Building Partnerships to Protect America’s Elections,” House Homeland Security Committee (10 a.m.)

February 14

“Impact of the Shutdown and Resource Constraints on the Coast Guard,” House Oversight and Reform Committee (9:30 a.m.)

“Effects of Vacancies at the Merit Systems Protection Board,” House Oversight and Reform Committee (2 p.m.)

Planned Hearings

House Energy and Commerce Committee: “Assessing the Environmental and Economic Impacts of Climate Change”; “Examining the Trump Administration’s Inhumane Family Separation Policy”

House Foreign Affairs Committee: Chair Eliot Engel has said he plans to hold hearings on Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

House Homeland Security Committee: In early January, Chair Bennie Thompson sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, telling her she was “long overdue” for a hearing.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee: Chair Peter DeFazio plans to hold several hearings on climate change.

Canceled/postponed

Examining the Shutdown’s Impact, House Energy and Commerce Committee
After the end to the longest shutdown in U.S. history, the committee canceled its planned hearing on the shutdown’s impact on workers, the environment, and public health. An Education and Labor Committee hearing on the shutdown’s impact, also scheduled for January 31, was postponed.