Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Republican staff has released a report highlighting alleged failures by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra in reappointing 14 key officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the report, these lapses could have significant legal and administrative implications.
Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, along with Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie and Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith, stated: "Secretary Becerra, an attorney by trade, failed to sign the basic legal documents and follow the process required by the Constitution and federal law necessary to reappoint key NIH officials, putting their jobs, the decisions they’ve made, and the billions in funding they’ve approved in legal jeopardy."
The NIH is a critical agency within HHS responsible for biomedical research with an annual budget exceeding $40 billion. The report claims that on December 12, 2021, terms expired for 14 of its Institute and Center Directors without proper reappointment under federal law. This situation allegedly arose due to Secretary Becerra's detachment from NIH operations during his tenure.
Republicans initiated an investigation spanning over two years amid conflicting explanations from the administration. They argue that these appointments are crucial as they involve oversight of taxpayer-funded research projects worth billions.
The report outlines several concerns:
1. Improper appointments could lead to legal challenges against actions taken by unappointed directors.
2. There is potential for improper payment of salaries during this period.
3. Secretary Becerra may have violated his oath by not fulfilling his Constitutional duties regarding these appointments.
4. The lapse in reappointments might undermine public trust in health leadership.
5. Such failures could subvert the rule of law.
The report suggests that Secretary Becerra was pressured into rectifying these issues only after intervention from committee members.
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