This week in the House Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) Committee, we held multiple hearings about mismanagement and incompetency at federal agencies.

Currently, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) pays confidential informants for information about drug violations in various government agencies, private bus companies and parcel delivery services. A recent audit of the DEA found that there is limited oversight of this vast network of informants, and that thousands of these sources were being paid enormous sums with taxpayer dollars.

Click here for more information about this hearing.

On Thursday, I questioned officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture about the agency’s incompetency in addressing incidences of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Under the Obama Administration, such incidences at the USDA have increased. The agency is severely mismanaged, with perpetrators often going unpunished and victims often fearing retaliation for filing complaints.

Click here for more information about this hearing.

I also questioned officials about the use of fines, fees, penalties and settlements to skirt Congress and fund agencies outside the appropriations process during an OGR subcommittee hearing on Thursday. Even though Congress is granted the power of the purse in the Constitution, such “backdoor spending” is an attempt to cut out the legislative branch and allow agencies to act on their own with little oversight.

Click here for more information about this hearing.

Congratulations to Rep. Tom Price

Congratulations to my friend and colleague Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who is President-elect Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’ve had the privilege to work with Rep. Price in his role as House Budget Committee Chairman, and I look forward to continuing to work with him as we repeal and replace Obamacare.