House Oversight & Govt Reform: misleading information

This is the weekly review of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  

Highlight this week, 4/24: Hearing on "Misleading Information from the Battlefield"  

The hearing will focus on the death of Army Ranger Specialist Patrick Tillman in Afghanistan and the capture and rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch in Iraq. The Committee will examine why inaccurate accounts of these two incidents were disseminated, the sources and motivations for the accounts, and whether the appropriate Administration officials have been held accountable.

Photos from Wikimedia Commons

Week Ahead Monday, April 23: 9/11 Health Effects: Environmental Impacts for Residents and Responders (Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement) 10:00 am, in Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY Tuesday, April 24: Misleading Information from the Battlefield 10:00 am, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building         Witnesess: Jessica Lynch Mary Tillman, mother of Cpl. Pat Tillman Kevin Tillman, brother of Cpl. Pat Tillman Dr. Gene Bolles, former Chief of Neurosurgery, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany Hon. Thomas F. Gimble, Acting Inspector General, Department of Defense Tuesday, April 24: Preparations for the 2010 Census (Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives) 2:00 pm, in 2247 Rayburn House Office Building Wednesday, April 25: Full Committee Business Meeting 10:00 am, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building Wednesday, April 25: Federal Electric Transmission Corridors (Subcommittee on Domestic Policy) 2:00 pm, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

Misleading information is the theme of this diary and has been SOP for the Bush Administration for the past six years.  Waxman is losing patience on a number of fronts.  Ongoing requests for information are being stonewalled or completely ignored by the Executive Branch.   The Committee will meet on Wednesday to vote on whether to issue subpoenas and exert more pressure on the Administration to tell the truth.

Week in Review: 04/15/07 - 04/21/07

Are you being served? Potential Subpoena Targets Secretary of Stalling, Condoleezza Rice Waxman has repeatedly requested Rice's testimony to disclose her personal knowledge of the claim that Iraq sought to purchase uranium from Niger.  Much correspondence has been traded between Waxman and Rice's underling Jeffrey Bergner. Waxman rips it to shreds:   Mr. Bergner's letter is mainly a collection of snippets of public statements that you and other White House officials have made over the years about the fabricated Niger claim. The full record of your public statements on this issue, however, is confusing and contradictory. You stated repeatedly on national television in June 2003 that no one at the White House was informed about the intelligence community's doubts about the Niger claim prior to the President's State of the Union address. Subsequent disclosures have shown this to be erroneous. I hope you can understand that the Committee cannot accept a selective compilation of your past public statements as responsive to the Committee's request. Waxman has had enough of the weaseling, telling Rice, "At this point, further exchanges of letters may not be helpful." Andrew Card, former Chief of Staff to our misLeader Waxman wants to know more about the Valerie Plame Wilson leak and White House security procedures. On March 30, 2007, the Committee requested your appearance for an on-the-record interview regarding the disclosure of Ms. Wilson's covert identity and the White House procedures for handling classified information. The Committee made this request because as the White House Chief of Staff at the time of the Wilson leak, you are in a unique position to explain the White House's response to the leak and address questions about the adequacy of White House security procedures. On April 5, 2007, White House Counsel Fred Fielding sent a letter to the Committee refusing to make you available to the Committee. As the basis for refusing this request Mr. Fielding cited "longstanding Executive Branch policy" that "[c]urrent and former senior White House officials such as the Chief of Staff to the President have historically not been available to Congress to testify, or to be interviewed, about their activities in serving the President." Waxman continued with multiple examples of Chief's of Staff who have testified under oath to Congress.   Then he asked very nicely for the White House to make a voluntary agreement to appear sometime before the end of May, otherwise the Committee will vote to compel his testimony. Rec'd diary:  Waxman to ex-White House Chief: You'll appear on Daily Show, but not before my committee? (by michaelralston also at Raw Story) White House info on MZM Contract This also ties into the USA Scandal and the firing of Carol Lam for her investigation of the disgraced former Rep. Duke Cunningham. Letter from Waxman to Joshua Bolten, Chief of Staff (March 27, 2006): Subsequent investigations have uncovered serious irregularities, and in some cases criminal conduct, by MZM employees, members of Congress, and Bush Administration officials relating to MSM contracts with the federal government. To date, however, there has been no examination of the circumstances surrounding MZM's initial federal contract and the role that White House officials played in the award and execution of the contract.   As part of the Committee's ongoing investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse in federal contracting, the Committee seeks information about the White House contract with MZM. Waxman gave a deadline of April 6th for all the documents to be turned over.   The White House wrote back on April 5th: ...more time is needed to conduct the necessary review and evaluation of the materials sought and the issues implicated by the request.  Once we are fully able to evaluate the scope and implications of the letter's requests, we will soon provide your committee with an appropriate response. Waxman writes back to Fred Fielding on April 10th: On April 6, 2007,I received a response from Emmet T. Flood in the White House Counsel's Office. Mr. Flood did not provide any of the information or documents the Committee requested. Instead, Mr. Flood's letter stated that "more time is needed to conduct the necessary review and evaluation of the materials sought and the issues implicated by the requests." Mr. Flood's letter did not explain how long this review process might last. And again on April 20th: By next week, it will have been nearly a month since the Committee's initial request for information relating to the White House's relationship with MZM. Yet we have received not a single document in response to this request. You should know that if the responsive documents are not provided by April 24, 2007, which is the date proposed by Mr. Flood, the Committee will consider a motion to subpoena these documents at the Committee's business meeting on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. For more see:  Waxman Demands Info Linking White House To Cunningham Probe And Possible Attorney Firing (Think Progress) RNC for White House Emails Another request for information that has been dragging on for weeks... Waxman wrote to Mike Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee on April 20th: The Committee has sent four separate letters to the RNC over the past month regarding the use by White House officials of e-mail accounts controlled by the RNC. As you know, the Committee has requested basic information about the e-mail accounts, such as the identity of the officials using these accounts and the volume of relevant e-mail communications in the RNC's possession. The Committee has also requested a limited set of e-mails related to whether Bush Administration officials have used federal resources to help Republican political candidates.   In response to these repeated and reasonable requests, the RNC has failed to provide any of the requested documents. Moreover, the RNC has refused to provide even the most basic information within its possession regarding who at the White House held RNC e-mail accounts or how often they communicated through these accounts.

Hearings April 17: The U.S. Is This Any Way to Treat Our Troops? - Part II: Follow-Up on Corrective Measures Taken at Walter Reed          Witnesses: Panel I: Independent Review Group Honorable Togo West, Jr., former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Former Secretary of the Army Honorable Jack Marsh, former Secretary of the Army Arnold Fisher, Senior partner of Fisher Brothers New York Lawrence Holland, senior enlisted advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Charles Roadman, former Air Force surgeon general Panel II: Department of Defense and Army Officials Honorable Michael Dominguez, Principle Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Major General Gale S. Pollack, Army Surgeon General (Acting) and Commander US Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) Major General Eric Schoomaker, Commander, Walter Reed Army Medical Center This hearing was a follow-up to the initial March 5th hearing at Walter Reed.  At this one, the Committee heard from the Independent Review Group (IRG), which was set up by Defense Secretary Gates to provide recommendations to fix the problems at Walter Reed and other Defense Department medical facilities. Senior Defense Department and Army officials discussed the IRG report and how to implement the report’s findings. See Independent Review Group Report: Rebuilding the Trust (PDF) April 17: The U.S. Postal Service 101           Witnesses: John E. Potter, Postmaster General/CEO, U.S. Postal Service James C. Miller, III, Chairman, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission David C. Williams, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service Katherine A. Siggerud, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S. General Accountability Office William Burrus, President, American Postal Workers Union William H. Young, President, National Association of Letter Carriers Donnie Pitts, President, National Rural Letter Carriers' Association John F. Hegarty, National President, National Postal Mail Handlers Union Oscar Dale Goff, Jr., President, National Association of Postmasters of the United States Charles W. Mapa, President, National League of Postmasters Ted Keating, President, National Association of Postal Supervisors Postmaster general, John Potter, and other postal officials discussed Bush's new law overhauling postal operations.  One of the main issues is using contractors to deliver mail.   Contractors may save money for the Postal Service, but their use could lower public trust in the mail and harms employee morale, Donnie Pitts, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, and John F. Hegarty, president of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, told the subcommittee." WaPo: "A Large Load to Sort in  USPS overhaul" April 18: Ensuring Fairness and Accuracy in Elections Involving Electronic Voting Systems           Witnesses: Hon. Gracia Hillman, Commissioner, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Mr. Randolph Hite, Director, Information Technology Architecture and Systems, U.S. Government Accountability Office Hon. Robin Carnahan, Secretary of State, State of Missouri Avi D. Rubin, Ph.D., Technical Director, Information Security Institute, Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University Mr. John S. Groh, Vice President, Election Systems & Software International, and Chairman, Election Technology Council Diane Golden, Ph.D., Director, Missouri Assistive Technology Council (on behalf of the National Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs) From Subcommittee Chair Wm. Lacy Clay’s opening statement (YouTube)... The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has failed to carry out responsibilities as dictated by HAVA.  The bipartisan EAC may be improperly politicizing their work and have strayed from their mandate to develop and disseminate vital information on election related topics in an objective manner.   He mentioned a New York Times article which found that the EAC edited the findings of a government funded report to mislead the public on the pervasiveness of voter fraud.  Quote from the article below. The original report said most experts believe that "false registration forms have not resulted in polling place fraud," but the final report cites "registration drives by nongovernmental groups as a source of fraud." Although Democrats accused the board of caving to political pressure, Donetta L. Davidson, the chairwoman of the commission, said that when the original report was submitted, the board's legal and research staff decided there was not enough supporting data behind some of the claims. So, she said, the staff members revised the report and presented a final version in December for a vote by the commissioners.

Requests for Information Chairman Waxman Asks for Further Information on Halliburton Move In a letter to the CEO of Halliburton, David Lesar, Waxman asked him to answer a number of questions relating to Halliburton's arrangements with Dubai officials, how the company will be affected by taxation and SEC requirements, how it will maintain security of classified information in the Dubai office and whether Halliburton and its subsidiaries will be involved with any business in Iran or other sanctioned nations.   Waxman Requests Drug Purchase Information Waxman asked Mark Dybul, US Global AIDS Coordinator, to provide information about the purchase of antiretroviral treatments under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).  PEPFAR provides treatment for nearly 1 million AIDS patients worldwide.  However, there are questions about why only 27% of the drugs purchased are generic.    The funding could go much further if they were to maximize the use of affordable generics. Waxman has requested detailed lists of all medications, suppliers, purchase prices, etc.  for 2006-2007.    I believe the implication is that the government may have made contracts with Big Pharma to purchase their more expensive drugs rather than buying from cheaper sources in other countries or using generics.

Legislation - NEW
Here are the bills & resolutions introduced last week - listed under the Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over the matter.  

Domestic Policy H.R.1865 : To amend title 31, United States Code, to allow certain local tax debt to be collected through the reduction of Federal tax refunds. Sponsor: Rep Davis, Tom [VA-11] H.R.1985 : To foster the development of minority-owned small businesses. Sponsor: Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7]

National Security and Foreign Affairs H.R.1910 : To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit the import, export, and sale of goods made with sweatshop labor, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2]

Government Management, Organization, and Procurement H.R.1870 : To amend title 31, United States Code, to prohibit delinquent Federal debtors from being eligible to enter into Federal contracts, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10]   H.R.1934 : To amend title 31, United States Code, to require the provision of a written prompt payment policy to each subcontractor under a Federal contract and to require a clause in each subcontract under a Federal contract that outlines the provisions of the prompt payment statute and other related information. Sponsor: Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] H.R.1986 : To require potential Federal contractors to certify they owe no Federal tax debt. Sponsor: Rep Ellsworth, Brad [IN-8]

Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia H.CON.RES.114 : Encouraging recognition of February 13th of each year for the founding for the Negro Leagues in Kansas City, Missouri. Sponsor: Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] H.CON.RES.117 : Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown. Sponsor: Rep Davis, Jo Ann [VA-1] H.RES.303 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a day ought to be established to bring awareness to the issue of missing persons. Sponsor: Rep Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY-20] H.RES.307 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that public servants should be commended for their dedication and continued service to the Nation during Public Service Recognition Week, May 7 through 13, 2007. Sponsor: Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] H.RES.308 : Remembering and honoring the life and achievements of Jackie Robinson on the 60th anniversary of integrated Major League Baseball. Sponsor: Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] H.RES.312 : Congratulating Zach Johnson on his victory in the 2007 Masters golf tournament. Sponsor: Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2]   H.RES.315 : Honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Juan Nepomuceno Seguin. Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] H.RES.321 : Honoring Dick Brown: New York's greatest ambassador to Washington. Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] H.RES.324 : Honoring the life and accomplishments of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and extending the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on the occasion of his death. Sponsor: Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7] H.R.1858 : To provide for the retrocession of the District of Columbia to the State of Maryland, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1]

Legislation - UPDATES

H.CON.RES.71 : Commemorating the 85th Anniversary of the founding of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), a leading association for the Nation's 1.3 million American citizens of Greek ancestry, and Philhellenes. Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] (introduced 2/16/2007)  Cosponsors (57) Latest Major Action: 4/17/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. H.CON.RES.88 : Honoring the life of Ernest Gallo. Sponsor: Rep Cardoza, Dennis A. [CA-18] (introduced 3/9/2007)   Cosponsors (57) Latest Major Action: 4/18/2007 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. H.RES.273 : Supporting the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15] (introduced 3/27/2007)   Cosponsors (119) Latest Major Action: 4/17/2007 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 414 - 2 (Roll no. 217). H.R.401 : To amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969 to authorize additional Federal contributions for maintaining and improving the transit system of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Davis, Tom [VA-11] (introduced 1/11/2007)    Cosponsors (7) Latest Major Action: 4/18/2007 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote. H.R.988 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5757 Tilton Avenue in Riverside, California, as the "Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post Office". Sponsor: Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] (introduced 2/12/2007)    Cosponsors (54) Latest Major Action: 4/17/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

•  Tips for Truth

  I CAN handle it!

  by On The Bus on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 07:37:18 PM PDT

•  If HR.1910

  passes and is enforced, it might cause all the Walmart Stores to close.

  by Friend of the court on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 07:51:36 PM PDT

  •  Is HR 1910 going to have any teeth?

    I wonder how much teeth it's going to have. I mean, what constitutes a sweatshop? And will existing trade agreements overrule any legislation Congress passes? It seems like it's going to be pretty disruptive otherwise; I can't imagine the big business community will allow this to pass.

    A word after a word after a word is power. -- Margaret Atwood

    by tmo on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 08:07:07 PM PDT

    •  Likely this bill will never get out of Committee

      But if it did, this is what the sponsor of the bill, Mike Michaud [D-ME], said on his website:

      This bill would make it illegal to bring the product of sweatshop factories – factories where workers are abused in violation of that country’s labor laws – into this country. It imposes a $10,000 fine for each violation. In addition, it also allows U.S. retailers the right to sue their competitors in U.S. courts if their competitors sell merchandise produced in sweatshop factories.

      I'm sure it wouldn't be easy to enforce.  

      by On The Bus on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 08:30:14 PM PDT

    •  if it does have any teeth and....

      manages to make it out of committee, expect halliburton to go into the antiperspirant business. they'll stop those ungrateful no-good lazy workers from sweating!! 5 or 6 hundred bucks per personal fan and a couple of thousand for each can of right guard (one for each worker) ought to take care of matters!

      by nonnie9999 on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 09:12:15 PM PDT

  •  That would be nice! n/t

    by On The Bus on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 08:21:55 PM PDT

•  Can't wait to see those subpoenas

  served up with adminstration officials on toast.

  by Joffan on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 07:51:36 PM PDT

•  Wow, what a fact packed post..Talk about

  having a full plate ! Your research is beyond, well beyond-above the call of duty and I for one Salute you OTB..I fantasize how cool it would be if Henry The Waxinator had a research assistant such as you..I guess this is my last stop for the evening, I pull the cord...

  by Johnny Rapture on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 07:56:43 PM PDT

  •  Thanks JR!

    I really appreciate your comment.

    It would be super cool to work for a Congressman.  I fantasize about that too.    :-)

    by On The Bus on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 08:03:25 PM PDT

    •  would we have to call you robin?

      
      ....and would you wear the cute little outfit?

      by nonnie9999 on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 09:14:43 PM PDT

  •  excellent! excellent!

    An amazing and extremely useful piece of research. Thanks and please do more of this in the future...hmmmm, is it possible that the information in this one diary equals a whole week of the NYTimes?

    by merryberry on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 10:20:47 PM PDT

•  You are definitely "on the bus" and super

  nice to provide this important info to us. No doubt if this summary were in our local paper as a weekly feature, then the approval rating for our Democratic Congress would go up. Thanks!

  by paige on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 08:17:26 PM PDT

•  snort!

  Are you being served?  chuckle, snort, hahaha!!!

  by buhdydharma on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 08:47:09 PM PDT

  •  I actually hate that show!

    Not a big fan of British comedy but Monty Python and Mr. Bean are bearable.

    by On The Bus on Sun Apr 22, 2007 at 09:06:57 PM PDT

•  Wow, am I impressed!

  Damn, if you do this sort of excellent work on a regular basis, and if your diaries are not on the recommended list,they should be front paged!

  by AntKat on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 08:28:15 PM PDT

  •  Wow, thanks!

    That's a huge compliment.  :-)

    by On The Bus on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 08:54:33 PM PDT

•  Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald

  With John McKay and Carol Lam as Special Assistants and all the other fired ones will probably volunteer!

  Wow, who WROTE this damn script!? Some holdover from Nixon is writing all the responses (Fielding) so it must be some continuation of some plan from Reagan daze? In that case, it's Darth, Rummy, wolfie and feith.

  Whatever this all is, perversity does not come close to describing it, to be "frank", it's approaching certifiable grandiosity, a certain insanity not imagined since Nero.

  WTF!  What really hurts is that this plan depended on the general stupidity of the amurkin people.  We played OUR roles to the hilt, ennit?

  by preAmerikkkan on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 10:07:58 PM PDT