Hearings
Dec 17, 2015

Terrorist Travel: Vetting for National Security Concerns

TAKEAWAYS The Obama administration claims to have “very extensive screening procedures” in place, even though the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected a plan to review the social media accounts of visa applicants. Current plans to review social media remain in the ...
Dec 16, 2015

Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Government Ethics, and Office of Special Counsel Reauthorization

PURPOSE: • To begin the legislative process of reauthorizing Office of Government Ethics (OGE), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). • To examine potential legislative changes to these agencies. BACKGROUND: • OGE is responsible for providing leadership and oversight of the executive branch ethics program designed to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest. OGE’s ...
Dec 10, 2015

Terrorism and the Visa Waiver Program

PURPOSE: • To address the vulnerabilities in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and assess what steps the U.S. government has taken to mitigate terrorists abusing the VWP and our ...
Dec 9, 2015

A Casino in Every Smartphone – Law Enforcement Implications

TAKEAWAYS: • States have a sovereign right to determine gambling policy within their borders. The internet is borderless in nature and threatens states’ ability to regulate gambling transactions within its jurisdiction. • Federal law enforcement officials expressed concerns online gambling is vulnerable to being used for money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, and other criminal activity. • Congress was not given the opportunity to properly vet the ...
Dec 8, 2015

Examining the Stream Protection Rule

PURPOSE: • To examine the development and substance of the proposed Stream Protection Rule (SPR). • To focus on the effects of the rule and the Administration’s interaction ...
Dec 8, 2015

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Program Consolidation

PURPOSE: • To determine the status of implementation of key provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). • To identify what needs to be done to secure the benefits of program consolidation and other provisions addressing efficiency and effectiveness. BACKGROUND: • MAP-21, enacted in 2012, included several provisions intended to increase efficiency and effectiveness in ...
Dec 8, 2015

Review of the New London Embassy Project

TAKEAWAYS: The State Department (State) demonstrated poor risk management when it began construction of the London embassy compound prior to completion of the blast ...
Dec 2, 2015

Office of National Drug Control Policy: Reauthorization

PURPOSE: • To examine the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and their efforts to coordinate drug control policy and spending across the federal government. • To discuss the various proposals for reauthorization of ONDCP and its programs. • To examine ONDCP’s responses to Government Accountability Office reviews and the resulting recommendations. BACKGROUND: • Congress created ONDCP in 1988 as part of the Anti-Drug Abuse ...
Dec 1, 2015

Examining Invasive Species Policy

PURPOSE: • To examine the National Invasive Species Information Center (NISC) and its mission of treating and eradicating invasive species. • To discuss the ...
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