[House Report 117-495]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-495
======================================================================
RESOLUTION OF INQUIRY REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT TRANSMIT CERTAIN
DOCUMENTS IN HIS POSSESSION TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RELATING TO
THE BIDEN FAMILY'S INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHEMES AND RELATED
INFORMATION
_______
September 26, 2022.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, from the Committee on Oversight
and Reform, submitted the following
ADVERSE REPORT
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H. Res. 1243]
The Committee on Oversight and Reform, to whom was referred
the resolution (H. Res. 1243) of inquiry requesting the
President transmit certain documents in his possession to the
House of Representatives relating to the Biden family's
international business schemes and related information, having
considered the same, report unfavorably thereon with an
amendment and recommend that the resolution not be agreed to.
CONTENTS
Page
Summary and Purpose of Legislation............................... 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Section-by-Section Analysis...................................... 3
Legislative History.............................................. 4
Committee Consideration.......................................... 4
Roll Call Votes.................................................. 4
Explanation of Amendments........................................ 6
List of Related Committee Hearings............................... 6
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the
Committee...................................................... 6
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 6
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch..................... 6
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 6
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 6
Federal Advisory Committee Act Statement......................... 6
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement........................... 6
Earmark Identification........................................... 7
Committee Cost Estimate.......................................... 7
New Budget Authority and Congressional Budget Office Cost
Estimate....................................................... 7
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 7
Minority Views................................................... 8
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the
following:
That the President is requested to transmit to the House of
Representatives, not later than 14 days after the adoption of this
resolution, a copy of any document, record, report, memo,
correspondence, or other communication in his possession that refers or
relates to--
(1) any of the following individuals--
(A) Robert Hunter Biden;
(B) James Brian Biden;
(C) Sara Jones Biden;
(D) Eric Schwerin;
(E) John Robinson Walker; and
(F) Devon Archer;
(2) any current or former Biden family member or associate-
owned, -managed, -licensed, or -controlled corporations,
partnerships, limited liability companies, limited
partnerships, or ventures, including--
(A) Rosemont Seneca Advisors LLC;
(B) Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC;
(C) Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners;
(D) Rosemont Seneca Thornton;
(E) RSTP II Alpha Partners;
(F) RSTP II Bravo;
(G) Hudson West III LLC;
(H) Hudson West V;
(I) Owasco LLC;
(J) Owasco P.C.;
(K) Bohai Harvest RST (Shanghai) Equity Investment
Fund Management Co., Ltd.;
(L) Skaneateles LLC;
(M) Lion Hall Group;
(N) SinoHawk Holdings LLC; and
(O) GK Temujin LLC;
(3) the property located at 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC;
(4) any financial accounts located outside of the United
States of any individual or entity described in paragraph (1)
or (2); or
(5) any money laundering violations involving individuals,
businesses, or property described in paragraphs (1) through
(3).
SUMMARY AND PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
H. Res. 1243 requests that President Biden transmit all
documents in his possession regarding specified members of the
President's family, other individuals, business entities, and
other matters.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Committee opposes this resolution, which is a partisan
effort by Republicans to damage the reputation of a political
opponent by targeting his family members. None of the
individuals listed in the resolution has held any role in the
Biden-Harris Administration. Senator Mitt Romney has remarked
that the focus of Republican investigations on members of
President Biden's family is a ``political exercise,'' arguing
that it is ``not the legitimate role of government'' to seek to
damage political opponents.\1\
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\1\Romney Says Biden Probe ``Not Legitimate Role of Government,''
Associated Press (Sept. 16, 2020) (online at https://apnews.com/
article/elections-donald-trump-ut-state-wire-barack-obama-joe-biden-
f1de4ee7909548a132796767779ee56d).
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Senate Republicans already investigated President Biden's
son Hunter and certain business entities for two years without
uncovering any evidence that President Biden did anything
wrong.\2\ According to a Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee minority report released in
September 2020, all ten witnesses interviewed by Senate
Republicans ``stated that Hunter Biden and his associates had
no role in the formulation of U.S. policy, that Hunter Biden's
role did not influence U.S. foreign policy decisions, and that
Vice President Biden carried out U.S. foreign policy in the
interest of the United States.''\3\
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\2\See, e.g., Republican Inquiry Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by
Biden, New York Times (Sept. 23, 2020) (online at www.nytimes.com/2020/
09/23/us/politics/biden-inquiry-republicans-johnson.html); GOP Probe of
Hunter Biden's Business Dealings Turns to President's Brother James,
CBS (Apr. 6, 2022) (online at www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-
republican-probe-business-dealings-james-biden-chuck-grassley/)
(emphasis added).
\3\Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
Minority Staff, Interference: Majority Investigation Amplifies Russian
Attack on 2020 Election (Sept. 23, 2020) (online at
www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/
200923_FullReport_PetersHSGACWydenFinance
.pdf); Republican Inquiry Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by Biden, New
York Times (Sept. 23, 2020) (online at www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/us/
politics/biden-inquiry-republicans-johnson
.html).
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Nonetheless, House Republicans have continued to pursue
Hunter Biden and his financial activities as a private citizen.
Ranking Member Comer and Committee Republicans have sent at
least 35 letters related to Hunter Biden during the 117th
Congress.
Committee Republicans have publicly acknowledged that the
purpose of this investigation is to try to impeach President
Biden and to boost former Mr. Trump's chances of being elected
President in 2024:
On August 4, 2022, at a Conservative
Political Action Committee conference in Texas, House
Judiciary Committee Member Jim Jordan described
Republicans' planned probes into Hunter Biden as
helping to ``frame up the 2024 race, when I hope and I
think President Trump is going to run again. And we
need to make sure that he wins.''\4\
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\4\Republicans Who Blast FBI's Trump Search Are Prepping to Snag
Joe in a Hunter Biden Probe, Politico (Aug. 10, 2022) (online at
www.politico.com/news/2022/08/10/republicans-hunter-biden-
investigation-00050723).
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On August 28, 2022, Ranking Member Comer
told Fox News while discussing Hunter Biden that ``Joe
Biden's gonna have a lot of problems, and you're gonna
see a Republican Congress that's gonna be eager to try
to impeach Joe Biden.''\5\
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\5\The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton, Fox News (Aug. 28, 2022)
(online at www.fox.com/watch/78da0b07dd29fb195ea021c9b17d2e11/).
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On at least three occasions between April and August 2022,
Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Ron Johnson discussed his intention to investigate Hunter Biden
in interviews and then encouraged viewers to donate to his
campaign because ``I'm going to need a lot of help.''\6\
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\6\See Ron Johnson Interview with Maria Bartiromo, Fox News (Apr.
8, 2022) (online at https://congressional.proquest.com/congressional/
docview/t63.d40.04080022.s06?accountid=203525); Ron Johnson Interview
with Sean Hannity, Fox News (Apr. 26, 2022) (online at https://congres
sional.proquest.com/congressional/docview/
t63.d40.04260022.s26?accountid=203525); Ron Johnson Interview with
Maria Bartiromo, Fox News (Aug. 28, 2022) (online at https://congres
sional.proquest.com/congressional/docview/
t63.d40.08280022.s08?accountid=203525).
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Considering the overtly partisan nature of this resolution,
the Committee recommends not considering it further.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
The resolution requests that the President to transmit to
the House of Representatives, within 14 days after adoption,
copies of any document, record, report, memo, correspondence,
or other communication in his possession related to certain
members of the President's family and other individuals;
business entities owned, managed, licensed, or controlled by a
member of the Biden family or other individuals; several
specific business entities; and related matters.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H. Res. 1243 was introduced on July 21, 2022, by Ranking
Member James Comer. The resolution was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
On September 20, 2022, the Committee met in open session
and, with a quorum being present, considered H. Res. 1243. The
resolution was ordered reported unfavorably, as amended, on
September 20, 2022.
ROLL CALL VOTES
There was one roll call vote during consideration of H.
Res. 1243. Chairwoman Maloney's amendment in the nature of a
substitute was agreed to by voice vote. H. Res. 1243 was
ordered unfavorably reported to the House on a roll call vote
of 23-to-19.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS
During Committee consideration of the bill, Chairwoman
Maloney, offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute
that did not make substantive changes to the legislation.
LIST OF RELATED COMMITTEE HEARINGS
The Committee did not hold any hearings on this resolution.
STATEMENT OF OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
(2)(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee's oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the Background and Need for
Legislation section above.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the performance goals or
objectives of this bill are to initiate an investigation of the
family members of President Biden, which the Committee opposes.
APPLICATION OF LAW TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a
description of the application of this bill to the legislative
branch where the bill relates to the terms and conditions of
employment or access to public services and accommodations.
This bill does not relate to employment or access to public
services and accommodations in the legislative branch.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
In accordance with clause 2(c)(5) of rule XIII no provision
of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a program of the
federal government known to be duplicative of another federal
program, a program that was included in any report from the
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance.
DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS
This bill does not direct the completion of any specific
rule makings within the meaning of section 551 of title 5,
U.S.C.
FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT
The Committee finds that this legislation does not direct
the establishment of advisory committees within the definition
of Section 5(b) of the appendix to title 5, U.S.C.
UNFUNDED MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee finds that H. Res 1243 does not contain any
unfunded mandates.
EARMARK IDENTIFICATION
This bill does not include any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of rule XXI of the House of Representatives.
COMMITTEE ESTIMATE
The Committee finds that H. Res, 1243 would not affect
direct spending.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the House of
Representatives, the Congressional Budget Office will not
produce a cost estimate as the resolution does not have the
force of law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
The resolution makes no change to existing law.
SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
MINORITY VIEWS
Committee Republicans support House Resolution 1243.
Republicans are disturbed by the Majority's refusal to engage
in an investigation of the President that continues to uncover
evidence of his susceptibility to foreign influence. The
Majority's state of denial regarding irrefutable evidence of
the Biden family's corruption is a troubling reflection of the
Democrat Party's steady march towards disparate systems of
justice between Democrat leaders and the rest of America. The
President's role in his family's international business schemes
is not a distraction, it is not a conspiracy, and it is exactly
the issue on which the House of Representatives' primary
investigatory body should commit its focus. The Resolution
requests the President turn over to Congress--a separate and
equal branch of the federal government--records in the
Executive's possession about the Biden family's business
transactions. It is long past time the American people
understand the entirety of President Biden's interests in the
Oval Office.
I. THE INVESTIGATION OF PRESIDENT BIDEN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE BIDEN
FAMILY'S INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PLANS REVEALS A DANGEROUS CONNECTION TO
CHINA
Documents obtained by Committee Republicans show that the
Biden family received millions of dollars from a Chinese
business closely affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party,
and therefore the Chinese government, to sell American natural
gas to China. H. Res 1243 would request the President turn over
documents in the Executive Branch's custody regarding entities
Committee Republicans have identified as founded, managed, or
closely connected to Biden family members and connected to this
plan. The President has not only misled the American public
about his past foreign business transactions,\1\ but he also
failed to disclose that he played a critical role in arranging
a business deal to sell American natural resources to the
Chinese while planning to run for President, as described
herein.
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\1\See, e.g., Aamer Madhani, Biden: I never talked to son Hunter
about overseas business dealings, USA Today (Sep. 21, 2019).
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Committee Republicans have obtained a PowerPoint
presentation e-mailed on December 13, 2017, to Hunter Biden by
his assistant, JiaQi Bao.\2\ The presentation concerns the
selling of American natural resources to China. The
presentation, when translated from Mandarin Chinese, is
entitled ``Overview of the U.S. Natural Gas Industry Chain.''
JiaQi Bao, who created the presentation, was previously an
employee of the Chinese Communist Party and worked for Hunter
Biden's corporate entity--Hudson West--which is branded on
every page of the 39-page presentation. The title page of the
presentation is provided below (Figure 1):
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\2\E-mail from JiaQi Bao to Hunter Biden, Subject: updates from
your good trooper (Dec. 13, 2017).
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Included in the presentation sent to Hunter Biden are
detailed political and topographical maps that include thorough
Chinese annotations, two of which are provided below (Figures
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2-3):
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
These maps, along with a sophisticated analysis written in
the Chinese language, are part of a larger presentation e-
mailed to Hunter Biden\3\ and show the carving up of the United
States based on natural gas reserves, with particular emphasis
on the states of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and
Wyoming. The e-mails that accompany the transmitted maps reveal
a plan to sell American natural gas reserves to China via the
same corporate entity branded on the presentation--Hudson West
III LLC (Hudson West)--set up by Hunter Biden with officials
from the Chinese company, CEFC, at the time one of the largest
oil companies in China. In an audio recording obtained by
Committee Republicans, Hunter Biden refers to the founder of
CEFC--Patrick Ho--as his client and the ``f**king spy chief of
China.''
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\3\Presentation on file with Committee Republicans.
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Documents show that Hunter Biden personally interacted with
CEFC officials to facilitate the deal. In an e-mail from
November 8, 2017, between Hunter Biden and a CEFC official
making the purpose of the venture clear. Hunter Biden writes:
``I hope that you have received the information I sent
regarding the LNG [liquified natural gas] opportunities in the
state of Louisiana . . . The proposal I have shared with you
has the added benefit of being good for both the United States
and China simultaneously.''\4\ During 2017, in anticipation of
this selling off of American natural gas to the Chinese, the
Biden family received over $5 million in transfers from CEFC
and its affiliates, entities which have been identified by a
U.S. Senate investigation as ``essentially arms of the
communist Chinese regime.''\5\ By the end of 2017, the Biden
family established a plan to sell America's energy resources to
the Chinese, and they were getting paid millions of dollars to
do it.
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\4\E-mail from R. Hunter Biden to Gongwen Dong, Subject: Letter to
C (Nov. 8, 2017).
\5\Grassley, Johnson Release Bank Records Tying Biden Family To CCP
Linked Individuals & Companies, Remarks of Sen. Charles Grassley (Mar.
29, 2022), available at https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/remarks/
grassley-johnson-release-bank-records-tying-biden-family
-to-ccp-linked-individuals-and-companies.
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In a message provided to Committee Republicans by a
whistleblower, business associates involved in the CEFC deal
confirm Joe Biden's participation. On May 20, 2017, a Biden
associate--James Gilliar--writes in an encrypted correspondence
to another business partner: ``Don't mention Joe being
involved, it's only when [you] are face to face, I know [you]
know that but they are paranoid[.]'' Additionally, Hunter Biden
wrote in a September 21, 2017, e-mail that Joe Biden (along
with James Biden, the President's brother, and two Chinese CEFC
executives) is his business partner, and provides Joe Biden's
personal cell phone if the recipient seeks confirmation.
Committee Republicans possess e-mails that show that Hunter
Biden, CEFC officials, and Joe Biden would share offices under
the Hudson West/CEFC name, excerpted below (Figure 4):
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
This clear indication of Joe Biden's involvement with his
son's Chinese business schemes demands an explanation from the
President, and the Resolution of Inquiry Republicans support in
H. Res. 1243 requests documents from the President regarding
entities affiliated with this particular deal that implicates
national security.
II. THE BIDEN FAMILY USED JOE BIDEN'S FORMER POSITIONS OF TRUST TO
CULTIVATE BUSINESS, AND JOE BIDEN FURTHERED THE VENTURES
As both Representative Biggs (R-AZ) and Representative
Cloud (R-TX) demonstrated in the Committee's September 20
business meeting marking up the Resolution of Inquiry,
Committee Republicans' investigation has uncovered irrefutable
evidence that the Bidens have used Joe Biden's time as Vice
President to provide access to the White House to court
business. The Committee Republican investigation of the
President seeks to determine whether the pattern continues now
that Joe Biden is President. An American President who is
compromised by, indebted to, or vulnerable to foreign influence
is a national security threat of the highest order.
Increasingly, it appears the Bidens have used the White
House and the Executive Branch to enrich themselves. For
example, in 2016 Hunter Biden sought to do business with Miguel
Aleman Magnani, a member of one of the most prominent families
in Mexico and grandson offormer Mexican President Miguel Aleman
Valdes. In an e-mail to Aleman Magnani, Hunter Biden wrote: ``We have
been talking about business deals and partnerships for 7 years . . . I
have brought every single person you have ever asked me to bring to the
F'ing White [sic] House and the Vice President's house and the
inauguration . . . I've delivered on every single thing you've ever
asked[.]'' The e-mail, which includes reference to flying into Mexico
city ``w/Dad'' to meet then-President Enrique Pena Nieto, is produced
below (Figure 5):
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The narrative as described by Hunter Biden in this e-mail
regarding bringing his Mexican business associates to the White
House, is corroborated by photos obtained by Committee
Republicans showing then-Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter
Biden, Carlos Slim (one of the richest men in the world), and
the Alemans together in 2014, produced below (Figure 6):
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Committee Republicans' investigation has uncovered multiple
instances of Hunter Biden meeting with the highest levels of
foreign governments, often on trips on Air Force Two with his
father during the latter's Vice Presidency. It appears
increasingly clear that Joe Biden met and spoke with his son's
business associates and shortly thereafter deals would be
finalized. The Resolution of Inquiry seeks to obtain
information about entities affiliated with these transactions.
III. THE ADMINISTRATION'S REFUSAL TO PRODUCE DOCUMENTS HELD BY THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY AND CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS' DENIAL WILL NOT
HALT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE PRESIDENT
Committee Republicans have repeatedly requested documents
from the Department of the Treasury regarding information--
including suspicious activity reports (SARs)--Treasury
possesses regarding the Biden family's business dealings.\6\
American banks generated over 150 SARs for transactions
conducted by Hunter and James Biden (the President's brother)
alone.\7\ The Biden Administration has refused to produce these
documents that were previously provided to Members of Congress.
Regarding its cooperation, Treasury stated to the Wall Street
Journal that it ``has made SARs available for every request
we've received, regardless of party, and will continue to do
so.''\8\ This was false--while it may have been the prior
practice, it is no longer Treasury's practice to provide SARs
to Congress.
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\6\See, e.g., Letter from Hon. James Comer, Ranking Member, H.
Comm. on Oversight & Reform, to Hon. Janet Yellen, Secretary, U.S.
Dep't of Treasury (Sep. 20, 2022); Letter from Hon. James Comer,
Ranking Member, H. Comm. on Oversight & Reform, to Hon. Janet Yellen,
Secretary, U.S. Dep't of Treasury (Jul. 6, 2022); Letter from Hon.
James Comer, Ranking Member, H. Comm. on Oversight & Reform, to Hon.
Janet Yellen, Secretary, U.S. Dep't of Treasury (May 25, 2022).
\7\Id.
\8\Natalie Andrews and Alex Leary, House Republicans Seek
Information on Hunter Biden's Finances, Wall St. J. (May 25, 2022).
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The President's allies in Congress have similarly refused
to participate in any scrutiny of the national security threat
the Biden family represents. During the Committee's September
20 business meeting marking up H. Res. 1243, Democrats were
unable to refute Committee Republicans' assertions that the
President has been implicated in his family's business of
trading on their access to the highest levels of the American
government.
Committee Republicans are investigating the President of
the United States and his connections to and benefiting from
foreign influence. This has historically been facilitated by
the Biden family inner circle of Hunter and James Biden. The
thorough and wide-reaching examination into influence peddling
by the Biden family has been confirmed by multiple witnesses
and sources of information, not a laptop alone. Republicans
will continue efforts to untangle the Biden family's complex
web of foreign transactions, and the American people can trust
in our commitment to arrive at the truth.
IV. CONCLUSION
Committee Republicans support H. Res. 1243.
James Comer,
Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Reform.
[all]