House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing
OVERVIEW
For questions on the note below, please contact Edmund Perry at (202) 547-3035 or Ruth Lunsford at (434) 238-7224.
On September 19, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials held a hearing entitled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending.” Witnesses in the hearing were:
- Sean W. O’Donnell, Inspector General, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Below are some high-level takeaways from the hearing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The following is a summary of the main topics explored in today’s hearing. Each is discussed in further detail in the Discussion section below.
- The hearing explored how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is managing funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) and Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI-08) raised concerns over the EPA’s inadequate internal controls, particularly for fraud prevention and the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) lack of sufficient funding to monitor significant expenditures associated with initiatives. They discussed findings from the OIG that highlighted the need for increased oversight to address risks of fraud and waste associated with new grant programs under the IIJA and IRA.
- Republicans criticized the EPA’s approach to scientific integrity, urging a focus on legal adherence and expressing concerns about the economic impacts of funding from the IRA, particularly regarding energy poverty and the balance with existing energy needs. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01) questioned the effectiveness of the EPA’s programs on economic well-being and global emissions, while Representative Rogers (R-MI-08) referenced proposed legislation for an internal audit function to ensure proper spending.
- Many Democrats expressed concerns about the politicization of EPA oversight, emphasizing that there is no evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse, and advocated for maintaining funding for environmental justice programs, cautioning against using audits as partisan tools. Some Committee members said oversight should focus on ensuring these programs fulfill their promise, not trying to limit EPA’s ability to deliver results. Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) pointed out the EPA’s capacity is hindered by the majority introducing dead-on arrival funding bills that do not include the necessary funding for that oversight, emphasizing that oversight is a bipartisan issue.