Oversight & Investigations

Feature Image: Oversight&InvestigationsChairman Rockefeller started the Oversight & Investigations office at the beginning of 2009. The office’s mandate is to oversee private sector industries and federal agencies under the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction and expose conduct that harms consumers or wastes taxpayers’ money. Thus far, the office has investigated waste, fraud and abuse of the Small Business Innovation Research program; the lack of consumer choice and transparency in the health insurance industry; and aggressive online sales practices that cause millions of consumers to inadvertently enroll in membership clubs.

Featured Reports

  • Search Engine Optimization

    Sep 25 2012

  • Staff Report on Internet Moving Brokers

    A New Consumer Protection Problem in the Household Goods Moving Industry

    Sep 19 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV released a Committee staff report detailing the results of a year-long investigation into consumers’ complaints about distressing experiences with their moving companies and the potential abuses consumers face when moving across state lines. The investigation found that in many cases, Internet-based moving brokers and household goods carriers quote consumers one rate to move their goods, but then charged an exorbitant markup in order to complete the move—often after the carrier has already taken physical possession of the property. The staff report is available here.