Washington, D.C.— Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform invited Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to testify at an urgent hearing on Monday, August 24, 2020, on his sweeping operational and organizational changes at the Postal Service, which experts warn could degrade delivery standards, slow the mail, and potentially impair the rights of eligible Americans to cast their votes through the mail.  U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) is a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security.

“It is time for Postmaster General DeJoy to answer some questions about the sabotage of the United States Postal Service,” said Rep. Lynch.  “High-speed mail sorting machines and mailboxes are being removed across America, intentionally causing widespread mail back-ups and package delays across the country.  USPS letter carriers are being denied overtime to complete mail delivery.  We are demanding that Postmaster General DeJoy come and explain to the American people why he is undermining the delivery of mail across our country.  The USPS is enshrined in our Constitution and has been reliably delivering the mail for over 230 years as the most trusted service we provide in government.  President Trump appointed Postermaster General DeJoy to run the Post Office three months ago and now mail service is disrupted and our democratic elections are at risk.”

The hearing on Monday, August 24 will follow a deadline this coming Friday, August 21 for the Postmaster General to produce documents and information in response to a detailed, ten-page letter sent last week by Oversight Chairwoman Maloney, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and the other Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committees with jurisdiction over the Postal Service and federal elections, Chairperson Zoe Lofgren of the Committee on House Administration, Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Ranking Member Gary C. Peters of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Chairwoman Maloney also requested the testimony of Robert M. Duncan, the Chairman of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors, which “directs the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service, directs and controls its expenditures, reviews its practices, conducts long-range planning, approves officer compensation and sets policies on all postal matters.”

The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 2020, in room 2154 Rayburn and will be livestreamed.

Click here to read the invitation to Postmaster General DeJoy.

Click here to read the invitation to Chairman Duncan.

The IRS issued the following press release:

The IRS has extended its deadline to September 30, 2020, for people to provide information to the IRS using its Non-Filer Tool at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.  People should do this if they:

• receive Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability benefits, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments;
• did not file a 2019 or 2018 tax return;
• have a qualifying child under age 17; and
• did not already enter information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool for themselves and at least one child.

If someone already entered information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool before, and even after, the IRS’ previously announced deadlines (April 22 if receiving Social Security; May 5 if receiving SSI) they do not need to do anything.  The IRS will automatically make an EIP payment in October 2020 based on the information provided to them.

Read the IRS’ August 14 press release at www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-takes-new-steps-to-ensure-people-with-children-receive-500-economic-impact-payments for more information.

For other Social Security information, please visit the agency’s COVID-19 web page at www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/.

Boston, MA– Yesterday, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security, and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with U.S. Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), and members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) William Keating (D-MA-09), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06) and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), formally requested that the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General conduct a complete and thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the disappearance and death of Sergeant Elder Fernandes, a 23 year-old native of Brockton, Massachusetts, who was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

SGT Fernandes was reportedly last seen by members of his unit in Killeen, Texas on August 17, 2020. On August 25, 2020, SGT Fernandes was found dead about 25 miles east of the military base. Prior to his disappearance, SGT Fernandes was reportedly hospitalized between August 11 and August 17, 2020. SGT Fernandes reported an incident of abusive sexual contact and at the time of his disappearance there was an ongoing law enforcement investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division into SGT Fernandes’ allegation.

“We are heartbroken by SGT Fernandes’ death. As Members of Congress representing SGT Fernandes and his family, we demand a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death, including allegations of abusive sexual contact, bullying, and retaliation,” the lawmakers wrote. “We also ask you to investigate the Army’s response to SGT Fernandes’ disappearance and whether Army leaders kept the Fernandes family appropriately informed about the search for their missing relative until he was found on August 25.”

The lawmakers continued: “We must do more than grieve the loss of SGT Fernandes—we must seek justice and answers for his family.  That starts with a full and complete investigation. “

You can read the letter here.

Boston, MA– U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) blasted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision to approve a natural gas compressor station in a densely settled residential area of Weymouth after a huge gas leak endangering local residents occurred on the first day of operations. 

“This could have easily been a mass-casualty event” said Lynch. “Obviously, the proper safety protocols were not followed and the gravest fears of Weymouth residents and the many opponents of this compressor station have been justified.” 

After the incident, Lynch called on the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to immediately suspend the opening and operation of the compressor station pending a comprehensive review. 

“This misguided and dangerous project presents an imminent public safety threat to the residents of Weymouth and its surrounding communities and must be subject to extensive state and federal oversight before any continuation in station operations,” wrote Lynch.  “The September 11th gas leak in Weymouth has greatly exacerbated our concerns – particularly in the wake of the series of devastating natural gas explosions that occurred in the Merrimack Valley in 2018 and considering the marked increase in pipeline safety incidents reported by PHMSA over the last two decades.”

You can read the letter here.

Washington D.C.—On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. ET, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, will hold a hearing to examine the Trump Administration’s strategy in Afghanistan, including the February 29, 2020, U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, ongoing efforts to facilitate intra-Afghan reconciliation, and the ramifications of these diplomatic negotiations for the Afghan people, regional stability, and U.S. national security.

At the hearing, Members will question the Trump Administration about whether the U.S.-Taliban agreement could jeopardize the security, political, and economic gains the Afghan people—especially women and girls—have made in recent years.  Members will also address the long-term national security implications of reducing foreign development and reconstruction assistance to the Government of Afghanistan.

A livestream will be available on YouTube and the Committee on Oversight and Reform website.

WHAT:  Subcommittee on National Security Hearing “Examining the Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Strategy, Part 2”

WHEN: Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. E.T.

WITNESSES

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation - Department of State

David F. Helvey, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs - Department of Defense

Washington, D.C.— This week, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, held a hearing on the Trump Administration’s strategy in Afghanistan, including the February 29, 2020, U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, ongoing efforts to facilitate intra-Afghan reconciliation, and the ramifications of these diplomatic negotiations for the Afghan people, regional stability, and U.S. national security.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation at the Department of State, appeared before the Subcommittee, marking his first public testimony in the 116th Congress about U.S.-Taliban Peace Deal and Intra-Afghan Negotiations.  The Subcommittee also heard testimony from David F. Helvey, who is performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs at the Department of Defense.

At the hearing, Members expressed concerns that the U.S.-Taliban peace deal could jeopardize the security, political, and economic gains the Afghan people—especially women and girls—have made since 2001.

Ambassador Khalilzad and Mr. Helvey testified that the path to a sustainable reconciliation agreement between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban will be complicated, and high levels of violence remain an obstacle to peace.

• Ambassador Khalilzad testified:  “While we have reasons to be hopeful, we are under no illusions about the challenges ahead.  The conflict in Afghanistan is especially complex, and negotiators will have to overcome personal interests and political differences while representing diverse constituencies.  We expect that there will be setbacks and obstacles.”  He also acknowledged:  “the Afghan people will suffer if there is no peace agreement.”
• Mr. Helvey testified:  “Taliban violence, quite frankly, has been unacceptably high for too long.”  Ambassador Khalilzad added:  “By any measure, current levels of violence are too high.”
• Mr. Helvey testified that terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Al Qaeda still aspire to threaten U.S. national security interests and that “a strong and capable ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] focused on combating terrorist threats and defending the Afghan people is going to be our best chance at supporting and defending U.S. interests.”

Despite the Trump Administration’s repeated claims that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is conditions-based, Ambassador Khalilzad and Mr. Helvey testified that the Taliban have not fully complied with their commitments under the February 29, 2020, peace agreement. 

• Ambassador Khalilzad testified:  “With regard to terrorism and al Qaeda, in this setting, what I can say is the Talibs have taken some steps, based on the commitment they have made, positive steps, but they have some distance still to go. … [W]e are in the middle of the process.  The picture is one of progress but it’s not completed.” 
• Mr. Helvey also testified that with respect to the Taliban’s counterterrorism commitments under the February 29 agreement:  “[S]o far, they are not fully compliant, so we have work to be done there.  I think we know that, [and] the Taliban knows it.”

Members of the Subcommittee expressed dismay that the Trump Administration’s agreement with the Taliban did not prioritize the rights of Afghan women and girls:

• Subcommittee Chairman Lynch stated:  “After all we’ve been through, the most important accomplishment I would think in 50 years looking back—we’ve taught a quarter of million Afghan women how to read and write.  That’s probably going to be the biggest impact in that country in the next 50 years.  It’ll be the one accomplishment that we can look at that made a difference.  And yet, the rights of women and girls was not included as a priority for us going into the negotiations, and the Taliban knew that.”
• Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney stated:  “We know that when women succeed, nations succeed.  And nations that respect their women and protect them have less violence, less terrorism, and it is an investment for peace in the world to advance the rights of women. … As our chief negotiator, you have said that the talks have to be Afghan-led and that’s true, but we have leverage as the United States to stand-up for the protection of women and girls.”

Boston, MA - U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) issued the following statement after a second dangerous blowout occurred at the Weymouth Compressor Station:

"I was just notified that the Weymouth Compressor Station had yet another dangerous blowout event this morning involving the deployment of the compressor station's Emergency Shutdown System, and given that it is the second incident this month they are currently in the process of ordering a temporary emergency shutdown of the station.  While additional details on this latest safety incident are still under investigation, these accidents endangered the lives of local residents and are indicative of a much larger threat that the Weymouth Compressor Station poses to Weymouth, Quincy, Abington and Braintree residents, as well as surrounding communities, by operating in such a densely residential area.  I am extremely concerned for the public's safety and I have asked that a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) official accompany me on a walk through of the site later this week when I return to Boston.  I have already asked the Secretary of Transportation to suspend the opening of the compressor station pending a comprehensive review and I am now demanding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) revoke the certificate of approval for the site and suspend operations due to the repetitive occurrence of these extremely dangerous events."– U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08)

You can read the letter to FERC here. 

The Broadway League issued the following letter of support for the new HEROES Act:

On behalf of The Broadway League, which includes leadership from Broadway and performing arts organizations in over 200 cities across the United States, we strongly support the new HEROES Act, which includes Save Our Stages (SOS) as well as vital financial support for our unemployed workers. We express our gratitude for Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, her dedication to the nation’s economic recovery and her unwavering commitment to the live entertainment industry.  Save Our Stages provides our nation’s theatrical industry with the critical financial resources necessary to help sustain it through this unprecedented time, and we applaud Speaker Pelosi for including SOS and pandemic unemployment assistance and other needed aid for our workers in HEROES. 

The Broadway League represents the producers, theater owners, presenters, general managers and industry specialists who collaborated to deliver first-class live entertainment to millions of audience members across North America and around the world. We collectively employ nearly 100,000 people in New York alone and create over $18.5 billion of economic activity each year across the nation. This unique business exists solely by virtue of audiences sharing a live experience in real time and therefore was the first to close and will be the last to reopen.  

Due to the pandemic, this industry has been completely shuttered since March 14, 2020. This week marked the 200th day of the closure of Broadway and our nation’s theatres. In the Broadway League’s 90-year history, our theaters have never been closed for such an extended period. Our entire industry has been devastated.  Thousands of our performers, crew members, office workers, and countless other theatre employees have been furloughed and laid off and the restaurants, garages, hotels, and shops that rely on our patrons also have been devastated. The shutdown has also been an enormous blow to the nation’s performing arts centers that depend on the income derived from Touring Broadway to subsidize their arts programs and, most importantly, their community outreach and educational initiatives.  

The Broadway industry is suffering massive financial losses and will require millions of dollars in new capital to get shows safely back up and running once social distancing requirements permit. Casts and crews that have not worked in nearly a year will need significant rehearsal periods. Physical sets and complex sound and lighting equipment will need to be refurbished and reinstalled. Marketing programs will need to be implemented to raise public awareness that theatre is once again accessible and venues will have to administer enhanced safety protocols, all while we anticipate operating at significantly depressed revenues while audiences slowly rebuild.  

The inclusion of Save Our Stages in HEROES provides much needed liquidity to allow the theatrical industry to begin rebuilding so that, hopefully someday soon, it can be fully restored to the massive economic and employment engine it once was. Again, we thank Speaker Pelosi for her recognition of the importance of the live entertainment to the country’s recovery and her support for the HEROES Act and its inclusion of SOS and vital financial support for our unemployed labor force.  

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN), U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and a bipartisan group of over 70 lawmakers wrote to the conferees for the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) urging them to retain a key provision supporting America’s Karshi-Khanabad (K2) veterans in the final NDAA agreement.

The provision, included in the House-passed version of the NDAA, requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on toxic exposure experienced by the American servicemembers stationed at K2 Air Base—a former Soviet air base in Uzbekistan—between 2001 and 2005. American servicemembers deployed to K2 provided critical support to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. According to Department of Defense reports, up to 100% of these troops were potentially exposed to cancer-causing toxins.

The lawmakers wrote, “We have received mounting evidence of toxic exposure as America’s K2 veterans continue to report that they have been diagnosed with multiple forms of cancer and other deteriorating health conditions. According to one public 2015 study by the U.S. Army, K2 veterans are up to five times more likely to develop a certain type of cancer – malignant neoplasms of lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue – than counterparts that deployed to South Korea. The same study found that more than 60 veterans who deployed to the base between 2001 and 2005 ‘had been diagnosed with cancer or died from the disease.’ Over 400 servicemembers have self-reported cancer and other illnesses through a Facebook group organized by K2 veterans to discuss base contamination and health issues.”

“Regrettably,” the lawmakers continued, “K2 veterans are still encountering significant challenges in receiving treatment and benefits for their service-connected disabilities given that the Department of Veterans Affairs has not yet acknowledged a causal relationship between K2 deployment and a subsequent cancer diagnosis. Completion of the Department of Defense study mandated by Section 742 of the House-passed authorization bill would mark a significant step towards ensuring that America’s K2 veterans receive medical care and benefits that are reflective of their service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation.”   

You can read the letter HERE. 

This key provision was first introduced in the K2 Veterans Toxic Exposure Accountability Act of 2020, led by Reps. Green and Lynch and cosponsored by over 60 Members of Congress. On July 9, 2020, the Subcommittee on National Security released previously classified documents produced by the U.S. military in 2001, 2002, and 2004 about toxic exposures at K2.  Read the facts about the declassified K2 documents and more on the bipartisan fight for America’s K2 veterans here.

Washington, D.C.— This week, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Oversight and Reform’s National Security Subcommittee, Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot E. Engel and Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Chairman James E. Clyburn sent a letter to State Department Acting Inspector General Matthew Klimow and Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari requesting an independent investigation into the shipment of ventilators to and from the Russian Federation during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

“Specifically, we ask you to consider whether the Trump Administration’s decision to accept a shipment of Russian-produced ventilators on April 1, 2020, may have violated U.S. sanctions law or guidance, how the shipment of U.S.-manufactured ventilators to Russia in May furthered U.S. foreign policy objectives, and to what extent, if any, the arrangement may have been inappropriately influenced by President Donald Trump or other White House officials,” wrote the Chairs.

On April 1, 2020, the State Department announced that “As a follow-up to the March 30 phone call between President Trump and President Putin, the United States has agreed to purchase needed medical supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, from Russia.”  According to records from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the “State Department received a final invoice from the Government of Russia for $659,283.”  The Russian ventilators were reportedly“not immediately useable because of voltage-related issues.”  Earlier this week, a FEMA spokesperson confirmed that the “donated ventilators in question were disposed of.”  

On May 18, 2020, the Trump Administration submitted a notification to Congress stating that it planned to send “ventilators and related commodities and consumables” to Russia that would cost American taxpayers $5.6 million.

On May 22, 2020 and again on May 28, 2020, the Chairs, along with Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey, requested information from the White House and the Department of State, respectively, about the donation and import of ventilators to and from the Russian Federation.  To date, the White House has not provided a response.

On September 15, 2020, the State Department wrote and explained, in part:

“As you noted in your letter, the final invoice amount was $659,283.  FEMA requested the assistance of the Department of State in transmitting payment to the Russian authorities for the shipment.  The Russian Embassy subsequently informed the State Department that payment for the April 1 shipment was no longer expected in light of the delivery of U.S.-made ventilators to Russia.  The Administration has not transferred and will not transfer any funds to the Russian Federation or companies for the April 1 shipment.”

This conflicts with the State Department’s April 1, 2020, statement that the United States had agreed to “purchase needed medical supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, from Russia,” and does not account for why Russian did not seek payment from the United States in the weeks leading up to the shipment of ventilators to Russia in May.

“It makes little sense for the United States to have sent 200 ventilators to Russia at a cost of $5.6 million to American taxpayers, while less than two months earlier, FEMA accepted 45 Russian ventilators that were electrically incompatible and unsafe for use in the United States,” the Chairs wrote.  “The decision to accept ventilators from a subsidiary of a sanctioned Russian entity—which provided President Vladimir Putin with a propaganda victory as Russia sought to portray itself as a world leader in the global coronavirus response—potentially undermined U.S. national security interests and raises even more questions about why the Department of State previously claimed to have purchased these ventilators but now acknowledges it did not.” 

Click here to read the letter.