Transcripts For CSPAN2 HHS 20240704

Process for sponsors concerns about labor exploitation and coordination state and local Government Agencies for the hearing was held by house energy and commerce subcommittee on oversight. It is just over two and half hours. [background noises] please take your seat t and members as well. Secretary has requested we get him out of here at 12 30 p. M. Over four but were going to try to make that happen if we can. Right the seventh of may oversight investigations will not come tow order. I recognize myself for five minutes for an Opening Statement. Gr welcome secretary i appreciate keeping your k word and appearig before the subcommittee related to the office of Refugee Resettlement. Its an agency of the department of health and Human Services and is responsible for the care and placement of unaccompanied unaccompanied childrenreferred. Under the Biden Administration has faced unprecedented surge in the number of unaccompanied minors referred to its custody. They numbers of unaccompanied minors crossing our border is astronomically high. From fiscal year 2018 through 2020 below our average referrals per year. As of march 31, 2023 which is the last time it made the numbers public, the agency had received almost 60000 referrals it fiscal year 2023. Including agency on pace for over 120,000 referrals for the third year in a row. If you and i do not agree on the policies that brought his children to our border vet i believe, no matter the policies once they are in our care and we have taken on the responsibility for them must care for them properly. Todaysto hearing is to take stk of how hhs and oh oh are have responded to the surge of these children. Thousands of Vulnerable Children by an agency under your leadership, what was the message you sent to the front line of workers managing the border crisis . Hopefully it was to make sure thesefu children are placed in Safe Environments with people they are actually related to. Hopefully also the state and local child where agencies were aware of Vulnerable Children being placed in jurisdictions and would likely need services. No matter the message you intended to send it does appear the childrens welfare was not a primary concern. Thanks to the whistleblower and the New York Times reporting we know there was constant neglect when can the intake and release of these children. According to the recording obtained by the york times regarding according to the recording obtained by the york times regarding which i will submit for the record you stated if henry ford had seen this in his plans, he would have never become famous and rich. This is not the way you do an Assembly Line. Ise that statement consistent with how you intend to run the unaccompanied Childrens Program . While i hope that the overriding seems to be moving childrens quickly as possible not protecting them. That would explain why you would haveve approved policies like oh are field guidance 10 which expedites release of minors claiming to be feeling members while simultaneously waving background checks to ensure potential sponsor is in fact a Family Member. I also explained your approval of field guidance 11 which waiveseq a background check requirements for unrelated adults who live in the same residence, a minor is being sent to. This is of great concern. Ive been vocal to provide a bona fide background checks. In 2021 i visited the emergency intake and was shocked with what i learnedbl there. There was no collaboration with Law Enforcement when vetting sponsors in the record check that they were using was widely available internet search while. My suspicions were solidified by september 2022 oig reported on fort bliss. Billions of dollars for what seemed to be large influx care facilities designed to quickly process hundreds of minors. My fear is no matter what your intentions may be you may be putting or on a permanent assemblylinepe footing were chd welfare simply is not a priority. As i close like to enter to the regular part by r statewide grad jury in florida charged with investigating or. This report is damning a detailed chapter and verse out ors policy and practices resulted in Child Exploitation and trafficking. I will endnd by quoting the grad jurys assessment. If any resident of florida exposed quote if any resident of florida exposed usborn children to this process, theyll be justifiably arrested for child neglect or worse. We do not think children should be less protected simply because they were born outside our borders and brought here by government agency. Ive been saying that for years. As a former domestic relations in virginia would be true in virginia as well. Actions are equal to neglect. The childs legal status is irrelevant. I yield back. The Ranking Member of the subcommittee for five minute Opening Statement. Thank you very much. Most vulnerable among us. They often cross the border alone, experience to be frightening and confusing let alone a child he may not speak english. Moral and legal obligation are safe and cared for. With the responsibility keep unaccompanied children oh well and safe from the time they are transferred from the department of Homeland Security to the times they are placed with invented sponsors who are more often than not Family Members. Earlierep this years news repos detailed cases of unaccompanied minors work in harsh conditions and plants and factories the more shocking and deeply disturbing. Businesses are exploiting children as a source of cheapap labor and preying on their financial desperation. This type of exploitation must not be tolerated. Even though it has limited authority under the law and limited resources there is more that can be done to protect these children. For example is now expanding oversight and services to children after they are placed with families and sponsors per the funding that congress provided and last years omnibus appropriation bill or also working more closely with the department of labor to address labor issues. Hhs Inspector Generalth recommended as they recommend recommendedhhs is working to exk capacity and modernized portals to allownd or to monitor the bet interest of the children. I look forward to hearing from youte with your secretary about the work to eliminate the risk of labor trafficking. To enhance services after the placement with sponsors into improve the reporting of abuse. Not the kind of oversight the subcommittee must be doing and i commend the chair for this hearing and to the secretary for attending. But this meaningful oversight effortti is an exception. Because the majority has been focused on various partisan tangents, most of this congress aimed at sowing distrust in public to service interpublic institution. One of far out tangent i hope we can put to rest his gop baseless allegations regarding the validity of certain nihll institute and center directors. For months, energy and comments republicans have made unfounded claims 14 directors nih institution centers served illegally for over two years because they are not directly reappointed by secretary. The gop members point to a section of the 21st century act holding up a graphic that states such directors shall be appointed by the secretary they intentionally obscure the most important part of that statute. Which states when making director appointments of secretary active through the director of the National Institutes of health. Republicans inexplicably blurt out the clear language of the statute. Why . It appears to be an attempt to spin up yet another conspiracy. This is especially bizarre because it was republicans who insisted on transferring they authority and appoint director from the secretary to the director of nih over the objections t of the Obama Administration 2016. It is wrong to deliberately mislead the public. It is strange to do so involvig language gop members were themselves. This congress my republican colleagues had taken everyav opportunity to align Public Health officials. In selling this trust in our Research Agencies and Public Health expert republicans are playing a dangerous game. Americans depend on the work of these dedicated Public Servants to keep us safe and healthy. It is t time for the harassmento end. This committee has real work to do. On so many issues preparing for the next pandemic, tackling devastating drug shortages, protecting Online Privacy developing solutions to reduce climate pollution thats wreaking havoc and costing us more every day. The care of unaccompanied children is among the issues that demands congresses attention. Lets focus on that issue today instead of the fabricated one. Mr. Secretary we are committed to making sure coats are part does its job and does it right thank you for being here today i look forward to the discussion of the real issues. I yield back my time. Except krish is a junk slate yielding back and i reckon its a gentle lady from washington the chairwoman of the full committee for his per five minutes of Opening Statement. Ask secretary, today we as elected representatives of the people seek answers and transparency from you as a secretary of health and Human Services. Today were working to ensure the safety and wellbeing of unaccompanied children crossing the border some of the most vulnerable among us. Under President Biden we have faced the worst border crisis in our history. Receive referrals from 350,000 unaccompanied children over the course of the first three years of his presidency. It is more than 120,000 unaccompanied minors passing through or are custody annually for this is unprecedented part of the present by the largest single year of total referrals was about 69000. The New York Times has uncovered, this form of credits is has left children alone and exploited. These are just a few of the gut wrenching examples. Thirteen and 14 a yearolds are working 12 hour shifts on farms and factories. Children dropping out of school or never signing up because they owe a debt to these smugglers that trafficked them. Children, running away from theirchir sponsors they went orr place them with their being sold for sex. We are going to talk a lot about the 85000 children that or are could not contact after placement. Or claims 81 successful post release contact rate is a significant accomplishment. It is not a success. When the agency is less contact with one third of the Migrant Children during the first two years of the Biden Administration, the post release of followup is already a low bar or are considered it a success if they nearly speak with the child for a sponsor over the phone. Secretary im especially concerned about the specific policies and practices that you put in place that prevent or are from vettingng sponsors. Clwhy would you waive criminal background checks including checks of the sex offender and child abuse registries for sponsors and other adults living in households where children are placed . Why would you allow under yourr watch digital fingerprinting to confirm the identity of the sponsor to drop by 55 why would you allow at least 30,000 minors to be handed over to someone or are knows they are not related to. As an internal memo revealed the department has become quote one that rewards individuals with quick releases. Not one that rewards individuals fort preventing unsafe releases for the consequences of theseon decisions are entirely foreseeable. And again thanks to the New York Times we know reports reach your desks that children were at risk. The American People must know how you couldth possibly ignore these warning signs and continue to put more children in danger of exploitation. As i mention this is not the only example of mismanagement and abuse of power at hhs. As secretary you failed to follow the law and the constitution to reappoint the 14 including dr. Fauci as a result the exercise power andt, authory they did not legally have an approving billions of dollars in taxpayer funded grants. There is a crisis of confidence at her Public Health agencies including cdc, fda and cms is denying seniors approved alzheimers medications dragging its feet on lower drug costs the fda Baby Formula Shortage cause panic and harm to mothers and fathers and children across the nation. To you failed to provide us the transparency for President Bidens radical spending agenda that fueled recordbreaking inflation. The hhs oig just reported a massive amount of fraud and waste the covenant teens Uninsured Program which grew dramatically under your watch. For the sake of time i will not go i on. But i will close by saying this. Hhs is lost sight of its mission there seems to be more concerned with politics and power than the American People safety and wellbeing. I am very concerned about a culture of arrogance and lawlessness. As i started we are the elected representatives of the people we are demanding transparency and responsiveness. This culture must change and must change at the very top chart with your leadership and take responsibility for your actions for your testifying before the committee under oath but we expect and eat honest and complete answers for what has happened, thank you and yield back. Oxygen to let you inspect recognized frank affirms the full committee for his fiveminute Opening Statement. Think c it mr. Chairman. Earlier this year i was alarmed by children who came to this country alone only to be exploited by their sponsors and companies that illegally employed them. Im pleased secretary is here to explain with the field office of refugee settlement is doing to better address is cruel abuse part orr has been in a difficult position. Its budget and the authorities are limited particular in the period after a child is released into the custody of their sponsor this is a critical time for the detection or remediation of any exploitation. In 2020 when the Biden Administration inherited a crisis in the aftermath of the Trump Administration inhumane family separation policy or are acted quickly to reunify families, place children built emergency facilities and hire staff. Those efforts were necessary responding to this crisis revealed areaspo for improvemen, must stay vigilant in its work to identify and respond to exploitation both as a spots vetting process when their theye released into the care of theirt sponsor. Forward to hearing how old rr is accelerating this important work including joint efforts with the department of labor to combat illegal child labor parade this year it is entitled stopping the exploitation of Migrant Children. I went fully supports that goal. Unfortunately i believe the actions of my republican colleagues are taking would make the situation worse not better. This Congress Republicans routinely tried to chip away at the right to legal asylum. Even as they deprived Child Exploitation, republicans nearly unanimous support legislation that would reverse critical safeguards for kids who are traffic this Republican Action would lead these kids in the department of Homeland Security facilities for up to 10 times as long as a legal limit. Republicans continue to cave to the extreme right wing of the party by pushing for dramatic budget cuts that would set back any progress oh rr has made in protecting unaccompanied minors. Most recent house e republicans are pushing annual funding bill that cut the unaccompanied Childrens Program funding by 3. 3 billion in the upcoming ngfiscal year. This drastic funding cut was ceseverely hinder the offices ability to provide Services Like Mental Health and Legal Services that would help detect and prevent the very kind of abuse this hearing is supposedly about. Frankly, tearing down agencies rather than supporting their essential work has been a theme this year under the republican majority. Our committees traditionally been able to stay above the fray im concerned that is no longer the case. There republican majority continues to push a legally flawed theory that 14th National Institutes of Health Centers Institute Directors were improperly appointed. Allegations ignore language in the 21st century act that they put in full but republican chair on former congressman joe barton deliberately saying the secretary shouldou act to the nh director. This socalled investigation simply is not based at all. Its also a huge waste of committee and its members time. We have so many more important issues to deal with than this. Republicans have also continued other baseless investigations including caressing nah scientists to sit for transcribedsc interview about a Research Progress that never returned. Continue to press the theory covenant tina leaked from the Wuhan Institute of virology without any real evidence for they are fixated on manufacturing partisan scandals to discredit the work of a of herpublic service. Intimidate research and promote frivolous litigation again we have so many more important issues to deal with. There republican majority only distract from the important oversight work the children deserve and americans depend on. I look forward to and from secretary about how old rr plans to identify responsive violations of childrens rights and again thank you, mr. Chairman i look forward to this hearing from the secretary. Thank you Ranking Member for reviewing back that concludes members Opening Statement the chair like to remind pursuant to Committee Rose all numbers will be made part of the record. Please provide those to the clerk promptly. I went to thank you mr. Secretary for being here with us today taking your time to testify before this committee will have it opportunity obvious secretary of the department of health and Human Services. We look forward to hearing from you. And i will now recognize you for your Opening Statement. To me too swear him in first . Is going to let you give your Opening Statement for the story when you are where the committee is holding oversight hearing and do so we have practiced take your testimony under oath. You have anyea objection to testifying under oath . You are also entitled to seek no objection will proceed the jury advises your advised byit counsl for senate to house rules. You advised counsel during your testimony today . The witnesses indicated thats not necessary. If youd rise and raise your right hand. The process through the whole truth and nothing about the truths help you god . He is a ferment stated. You are now sworn in under oath set forth in section 1000 when e nine states code. With that will not recognize you for fiveminute Opening Statement. Must determine members thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. Im here at the chairmans request to discuss the department of Human Services on the comely children program. In the office of Refugee Resettlement in the work that we are continually doing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in our care. The program mandate is directed at providing temporary care and shelter for unaccompanied children securing appropriately vetted sponsors who can assume custody and provide a home for children during the tenancy of their proceedings. I want to address reports have flagged children being employed illegally and exploited by company. This is real. It is repulsive and it is unacceptable. I say this is the son of a Road Construction worker who is the oldest child had to leave school after the sixth grade. He never got to go back. Child labor is not limited to Migrant Children unaccompanied children released from custody may be particular vulnerable to unscrupulous employers. Hhs is coordinate with to assist their efforts to further crackdown on illegal child labor. It hhs we follow the law. Employers and company do the same. Hhs isld proud to do our part to care for unaccompanied children. We have dedicated team of professionals at orr who oversight their care in the place it sponsors but i hold our team and the entire department to the highest standard to i ensure to provide care that is in the childs best interests. Let me be clear about how we approach this work. Orr funds nearly three under programs in 27 states. Its a shelter program, traditional care, longterm care, group homes secure facilities residential treatment centers. Highly education, healthcare, counseling services, Case Management services, recreation, access to services, access to religious services and access to child were applicable. There is appropriate to the age, culture, preferred language and needs of each child. Orr works to prepare a preparedness posture it can quickly scale up capacity if needed. We know from child loafer experts will tell you the best place for a child is in a home with a family and a community. Not in a congregate care setting breed that is why we work so hard to find appropriate custodial sponsors for these children. This fiscal year orr has placed over 83000 children with sponsors more than 85 of those children were placed with a parent, legal guardian or close member. The average length of time a child spends at hhs care before replacing the vetted sponsor is currently less than one month. Of course its not always possible to place a child with the parent or legal guardian or close Family Member. In these cases, we just fewer than 15 of children orr takes additional steps and precautions in the sponsor vetting process prior to the placement of the child. Hhs custodial responsible for unaccompanied children legally place them in the custody of the vetted sponsor. Nevertheless, orr has enacted policies help identify challenges and opportunities to support and protectch children following their release from hhss custody. This c is where there seems to e the most misunderstanding with procurement. In fact i heard that just a while ago. Mr. Chairman let me repeat what i just said. Hhs custodial responsibility for unaccompanied children legally ends once we place them in the custody of the vetted sponsor. That is not me saying thats congress law as it was passed into statute. But, hhs, we at hhs voluntarily do more to support and protect these children. Furthermore we are committed to expandingos access to post release services with Adequate Funding appropriated by you, by congress. In mr. Chairman, children are children. But the children who come into orr care have unique challenges that require a whole of government approach. Including our partners in congress, federal agencies, state and local agencies and National Committee partners but hope we can continue to Work Together to care for and support children the best interest of our nation. I think you and i yield back. Quick the gentleman yields back wewe think if your testimony wil now move to question answer portion of the hearing. Ill begin questioning by recognizing myself for five minutes. Lets talk about these kids. Your duty ends once youre properly place, question number one it is my understanding that you all do not notify the local department of social services or other child on the committee which a child is being placed yes or no . Was determined back to protect the privacy of children as you would expect for anyof child. We try not to provide information about the child. What you do not provide information to your local Child Welfare agency or the School System is that correct . Are super with local agencies. Once a child has been place if theres a need to support them at school or other social services paperwork with local agencies. When a familiar relationship is claimed you do any kind of dna test to establish a genetic link between the sponsor the child . Became more poignant last night as i was watching sound of freedom. Because the back i was bringing a child to been kidnapped across the border. The good guys were there to intercept it. But he presented fake documents claimed to be the uncle of theld child. Do you all do a dna test . I got the time mr. Secretary, but information indicates you do dna and 23 and that usually for child predators of some sorts not familiar relationship is that true . Was determined that their thorough vetting process for each and every sponsor. We make every effort to try to find the closest relative for the child. With the tools we use is dna testing voluntary dna testing. Becausefi you do not do that in every case where a family relationship is that true . We verify the identity of the person. Well use birth certificates other documentation. Of birth certificate coming from another country just like the passports presented in the film lastmr night, may be foragd for it you would agree documents can be forged thats not as reliable. Ive got to to a member of ancestry. Com i have a dna test they can tell me about fourth cousins i never knew existed on my fathers side. There is afo way to do this. Were truly going to vet need to do more dna testing bird length of the process in more detail. Field guidance 10 and 11 are still in effect. Or continues to a backer injection people claimed to be distant Family Members further r delta live house with the child is being placed. What that in the background are only completed in 23 of the cases what percentage of sponsors have completed fingerprint checks for you place a child with them . Mr. Chairman, we place the wellbeing of every unaccompanied child is our highest priority. You applied it to every child does not apply to every child. Applies to only children who are eligible to be assigned to a parent, a legal guardian,. Someone who purports to be a closely relatively already been there. We have a document improve before we release that child progress you have documents but they might be forged . We do everything to make sure no one just to the process. Infected didnt just had a conversation with case managers about the very case or someone tried to present fraudulent information for. I appreciate that. Luckily make this clear to hteverybody. I know youve got a tough job. I am concerned i see statements like the. People part of the nr times article which i asked to be incorporated into thet recod where according to the recording it says you said ofy. Henry ford seen this in hiswa plans he woud never have become famous. Save a chance to explain that. Laon top of the florida report which says which i agree with we are treating u. S. Children this way be considered neglect. Summit will be going to jail but please explain. Is very simple explanation for that price you saidd yoursef we were facing big challenges. Trying to make sure children were not stuck in the department of security that is not a place for children. We needed to make sure we had a safe place for them to be. To have the care they needed proving to be efficient we have a available. Wewe need to make sure working efficiently its s about process not people part henry ford would not become famous simple because he produced a lot of vehicles. He kept famous because he produce good Quality Vehicles at a time when new stuff to do so. We want to do quality work and cant do that. Mike judge with the process of the people. I will close by saying i still think theres a lot to be done. Im glad to hear say those things. But theres a lot to be done because i think were letting too many children, even one is not acceptable. We are having hundreds of thousands ofen children who are slipping through the crooks. A better job needs to be done and i think using more dna testing more real background checks instead of just a background check that is it internet search while will be helpful. I yield back and not recognize the Ranking Member of the subcommittee for five minutes. These stories of corporations and businesses by exploiting children for cheap labor, labor to maximize theiren profits are just appalling. So i have learned it digging into this, after hhs and the office of Refugee Resettlement, places unaccompanied child but withthe sponsor, often a Family Member that Legal Authority for hhs ends. But as congress per whited in the last appropriation bill we have given extra money to orr to wedo better. To begin to allow hhs post release services all unaccompanied children. Hhs set a goal to that for all children by 2024. Im pleased theyve doubled receiving such services from congress now needs to monitor the progress here. When you say orr will provide a post release services to one 100 of unaccompanied children, what does that mean in practice . What kind of services and support controlled children expect to receive . Congressman for some want to thank you for making it clear its tough to do work when you do not have that Legal Authority to do more. We would love to do everything we do while we have the child in our custody. But once we release that child into the hands of a vetted sponsor we lose the custodial responsibility. If congress which is to give us more responsibility to watch over these kids even after they have been assigned to a sponsor, pleaseyo go right ahead. Everyonene cares about the caref these kids. What do we do . What is it mean to have a post arrelease of services . Again these are mostly all voluntary. We do not have authority to actually require kids or the response sponsors to respond back to us. We do weld child checks went to want tomake sure theyre okay oy transition that would make an effort took all off the kids and sponsors are under no obligation to answer the call or return the call. We also provide services to those who may be a need of particular social services, Mental Health services, Educational Service will try too post release services there. All of that is principally contingent on Congress Giving us the funding to do that because that is not the core activity you have given us money today. Into did the cut of the houses movingva forward i would devaste our program right now just provide services but just to do the basic work of caring for these kids in our centers and are in our facilities. The Wellness Check ins, were you call in its really up to the sponsor and the children. Can we do better on that . Do you prioritize it any way iny some of the unaccompaniedre children that dont go with a parent or Family Member, does not raise the bar for the check in . We are always looking for ways to provide their care these are kids coming to us many suffering from a great deal of trauma. We do everything we can while we are in their care but we try to do everything we can even after it with this custody after them when they are with their vetted sponsor. We are constantly looking for ways to do that part where those we are doing that is on labor exploitation is working with the department ofns labor a formal memorandum of agreement we each share information so we can track if someone, an employer as being abusive if there is a child who may be the subject of abuse. Is this include Legal Services . These children are the Immigration Service or a case of Child Exploitation those attorneys advocates are their best hope for justice. Does this include Legal Service . It does we are under statutes required to certain individuals. Child has come to us the childs being sexually exploited for example before coming into our care we are required by law to make sure we provide followup services. We try to provide the same polypservices even to children y statute we are not obligated to do so. It makes sense. How far depends on how much resources you provides we can extend the service. Correct thank you mr. Secretary. I think it should be said to all of the folks across the country who are taking care of children. Whether they are in group homes, they are counselors, i visited churches in my district the trusted t care providers for its unaccompanied children before they are released to their sponsors registered to say thank you to all of the folks who are working to keep the kids happy and well. Will take that back too. In general that it yields back over against the chairman of the fullec committee i now recognize doctor burgess for five minutes of questions. Think it was determined doing to start out by saying it is this subcommittee established a lot of the parameters for the care of the unaccompanied child back to 2014 we had the vast influx of the air force base in san antonio. Had a modicum of medical screenings and medical care. Now, continuing on the shermans line of questioning about the use of verifiable dna evidence, found inon administration that when you did that its a little upstream from your responsibilities. But there was an attempt made to identify parentage or family relationships, those cases droppedfa dramatically because people are using a child were gettingai a get out of jail free card to come into this country, recognize that they were a non match with genetic material youre going to beg charged wih kidnapping. Its a pretty serious business. Those get diminished you can agree or disagree with the rightness or wrongness of the parentage part i agree the chairman who simply query in google as to whether or not someone is someones uncle or aunt is probably not satisfactory when you have within your capabilities to scientifically check. And then unfortunately, that leads to situations florida statewide grand jury investigation. I family home in austin, texas had more than 100 children sent to it by office of Refugee Resettlement. Not by the cartels but you all. Im 44 children and another had 25. Again sent to them by orr not by the cartels but by you. That is theby reason this needso be as tight as tight can be. Quickly first begin in your early comments you are absolutely right spree specially with technology it so much easier to forged documents. It is really important that you try to prove you are who you are special custody of a child. We hear you we are willing to work with you. We are costly striving to make sure the person whos going to become that sponsor is who he or she says so i fully agree that point i will said this on the point about sending a number of children into the same general geographic area. The same house address not the general geographic area. Is safety theres no home im aware h of is got 40 some odd kids. What i will tell you is therea are places in immigrant communities flock it should not surprise anyone you have a lot of children that end up in the same communities. My father end up in sacramento, california because that is where a lot of his relatives his parents. If i made this is not an isolate incident. Houston chief of police is certainly not a republican also complained about the same phenomenon occurring in houston, texas but we will provide to you come into your office that information and would appreciate your response to that. Let me move on to another thing this has troubled me for well over a decade. When we were beginning our investigation, this committee on the medical screenings available to unaccompanied imMigrant Children, there was concern about tuberculosis. Tuberculosis and state of texass is a reportable illness. If you never look youre never going to find it. And i remember the statements made to me were that well look, if you get a positive test this obligates you to a long period of therapy. The treatment is 10 months or longer. If you do not follow the treatment youre going to lead to drug resistant tuberculosis. But its important to follow through. Certainly testing was not done at cbp. Testing was not done orr because the children were not going to be in custody long enough. But it leads to a downstream problem. You and i both know episode of multiple resistance in one of her neighborhood t schools is going to be big trouble. Would you agree with that . Quick you point out something very real. She stated we only have the child in our care for a short amount of time. We do work with not just cbp at the department of Homeland Security who provide the medical care they need will they are withee us. With local healthcare authorities for. To follow through on that and it leaves a lot to be desired. At the same time, if the Administration Priorities seem to be facilitating if we are willing to put that much energy into providing an abortion, should we put that much energy into providing to make certain the child is not infectious curing tb into our communities . The race a great point on tuberculosis issue. If you gave us authority to child commentw a to make sure that child is falling for medical Healthcare Services that they need we would take that authority but we do not have that authority. Assist current state law question requisites reportable illness the state of texas for. We dont have ability to require action be taken. If the sponsor were the child is not getting thert care, some medical communities not offering the care we do not have the ability we reallyor should do ts for the safety of the community. We do not have that ability. Jonas imus expired. Agenda but is back i reckon its a genre from new york first five minutes for. Thank you mr. Chair, thank you for the leadership and that of the team. The orr sponsor vetting pretty want to begin by asking about how the current process works and where there may be a need for an puma . Orr is legally obligated. But with unnecessary delays. Orr has to strike a careful balance budget rigorously vetting sponsors and the reality that it cannot legally or ethically hold children shelters indefinitely. Any congregate care facility for a long period of time can sever damaging physical and psychological effects. Its in the best interest of the child to release that individual to caring sponsors as soon as a sponsor is vetted as safe. Secretary becerra your goes into detail about the types of betting that happens depending on sponsors relationships with the child. We want to make search and will understand what happens when the vetting process. He briefly describe what goes into orr sponsor vetting process questionnaire. Thank you there is so much misunderstanding and misinformation about the vettind process. We look for a sponsor who is as close to the child as possible part of us to the parents to be the closest. Adult sibling, grandparents, those folks are recall category one sponsor. They are closest to them. Each sponsor must submit a detailed application, giving us information about their identity, their address, the relationship to the child but they must have additional supporting documents. They must provide us with records up right whether it is a birth certificate or a drivers license up or theygr must go through background checks. They must go through a homestead it will resend people that talk specifically about potential sponsor and householdmb membersf we need to confirm more information. Often time to also do voluntary dna testing but we do everything we can to certify, to verify that the people are who they say they are. Thank you how does orr standard of review differ considering sponsor application from a close fellow member versus what they consider a sponsorso application from a nonFamily Member . Why is it important for orr to differentiate between these kinds of sponsors . Thank you for that question but again people are confusing this. There are sponsors unrelated to the child may be Close Friends but unrelated by blood to the child. We do ari more and more work to try to make sure that person is who he or she says they is. Because they are not related. They are category one the parent, or the guardian, or very close relative. With valid documentation is in the best interest of the child, we try to move that child to that parent without delay. There is a time in early 2021 now thats why we are under a one month of stay in our care paid we are able to process especiallyle the category one sponsors, are quicker because a saugus with a valid information theres no reason to keep a child from being with a parent or legal guardian per if you are a relative but not real close relative with two more vetting to say you are who you say they are. We asked him to verify who asked the children do you know this individual . We go through a number of steps. Althat is why virtually all the children that we release to a bedded sponsor are related to that sponsor but will make evere effort to make sure they are with family but hopefully very near family. Adult, sibling, grandparent, or maybe a cousin would go through more checks into thought they cousin, not a relative or going to answer a lot of checks. Thats what we have category for kids. Its tough to fight any type of relative sponsor. Its tough to fight anyone who is a close friend will have a category of children have been in our care for quite some time. Were not willing to let them go until we verify will be with the trust the sponsor. Thank you sir. How is orr evaluating sponsorship guidelines in light of the revelations of the labor abuses happening . Congressman, as i said my father was one of those kids. There is never any problems in finding work even though hes not even a teenager. Theyre occasion to not get paid for hisen labor. We have known about child labor for a long time is not just migrant kids viscerally with migrant kids live in obligation to do everything we can with every authority we have a pretty and even beyond that were going to do everything we can to provide health and safety appreciator trained peering for the subcommittee think if your response i yield back mr. Chair pickwick to joma is back out recognize a joma from kentucky. Thank you mr. Secretary, thank you for being here for i would to samsara the toner Ranking Member took on this but we all want to solve this problem but no one here wants children to bee mistreated. We think we should control the board at first. We have to absolutely take care. We sure that we absolute sure that. Just following along, you talked about nonrelated children. Bruce may 2023 audit at the refugee settlements. Of the 340 migrants children releaseded. You talk about after the extra checks if they are not related. My understanding, orr it must have indepth home studies for sponsoring multiple unrelated children how frequently is that desmet does not take place . Category one we know there is a parent we just have tont veriy the parent. We really dont usually do the homestudy pickwick to that of the unrelated have multiple migrants . Works congressman i want to put out if we have some kind of click back after background check with something suspicious at the background even with the part we will not let the child its apparent until we can confirm it is okay. We may have the home study in that situation but someone who is not related we deafly do the home study. We go in, we do the interviews who try to make sure we can test the veracity of the person who is seeking the sponsor. For those not related we do checks of the other adults. As it gets overwhelmed but not every time. With anyone who is not a related or potentially related sponsor, yes precooked is a rare exception it doesnt but it does most the time i understand that sometimes. So getting back to the labor situation thats really concerning to all of us. I know we are all concerned about it. In february of this showed that part of labor from butter to children working overnight jobs. The situation with toxic chemicals and razor sharp salisbury when that happens how quickly do you respond, does your Office Response . Works congress with us a point about the misunderstanding going on. You all in congress, when i was in congress with you, wait for years we had to live with the existing authorities that we have. Go shoot employers so you cannot play the schedule by letting the law. We can just try to reach the child in the sponsors as a how are things going . But as i said earlier we do not have any ability or requirement to say to that child get back to us and check in with us for that is the difficulty here. Our authorities very limited. If you wish to give us further authority, we will absolutely work with you towards that. And if that is appropriate we ought to absolutely do that. Getting back to that that the department of labor i understand this division in the cabot with you. So your colleague the director of oversight Refugee Resettlement, stated in the House Oversight and accountability last month you are working tos strengthen the relationship with the department yoof labor. Could you update us then question mckenna you do not have the authority. There are some synergies you can ulcreate with children. So what is the status of that . Weve expanded thes data sharig and sometimes thats difficult but all that Information Special for children is very private. How we can share data it makes you do not violate anyones rights with informationma helps. , if they have the site of a sponsor we for example if found was tried to fraudulently get a child they could say that name happens to come up and give us names of her unscrupulous it helps us be more cautious. We have a memorandum of agreement. We have been doing this for a while. Were trying to do it even more. More strongly. We are also going through training. We are trading some ofir their folks at dol to understand how o rr does its work. Its training some of our folks at orr and hhs witness how they do their work. Sins. Have you seen with the synergy has worked . Absolutely data sharing. Were able to better track. Were talking a little while about hotspots. There seems to be a lot of children being exploited for labor we may see a lot of migrant families. We got a report theres a legal hiring of kids in this community. Which a people sponsor some of our children from that community for the purpose of that . Exactly. Thank you my time is expired i yield back to quick to not recognize mr. Peterson california for five mental questions. Did not see you slip into. Recognize for his five minutes he slipped in and has seniority. Just getting it done quickly. Thank you for being here, thank you, mr. Chairman. Putting the children and a definite adult immigration is unconscionable. So many children were kept off that in literal cages and separated from their families. These conditions were so up orange that introduced a bill. The humanitarian standards for individuals customs and Border Protection custody act. That would establish minimum standards of care in these facilities and ensure these children had access to basic human necessities while they await the processing. Unlike immigration detention per children are both housing, shelter, clothing, Educational Services and medical care. Republican this congress have proposed transferring some of the orr responsibility to the department of Homeland Security. With threaten the wellbeing of unaccompanied children. Instead we need to focus on how orr can best meet its obligation to provide high quality care for children including Case Management services by trained professionals that can provide competent trauma informed its documented concerning deficiencies training and skills. Orr has commendably made significant strides to address them. What makes for the welltrained have relevant skills to serve unaccompanied children . Thats the core of our work. Ellie got into a rhythm and figured out how to best make the process work, we are able to train to that. So that way we have a consistency so no child is treated differently when it comes have the same opportunity to be placed with eight reliable vettedso sponsor. Improved. Were moving more toward, with Technology Toward a faster way of trying to secure identity information about sponsors. The addition she information about, we are providing far better care and several years ago these kids as you pointed out, we actually provide Educational Services Mental Health services, think that were started this process what were doing is, while they are in her care for short amount of time, they are at least being provided with the safety and wellbeing that they need before they can go up. In my view, those of the services that the department of Homeland Security do not provide. Correct. Last year, unprecedented number of arrivals of unaccompanied children even as the arrivals have slowed prepared to adjust to the capacity to establish emergency housing concept provide services in children in regular spikes in migration occur. So it is so hard earned for the past few years help the response to to the response to any company minors and to provide highquality children with her high numbers of children crossing the border. Will the first thing we learned you cannot wait to see the kids coming and coming to try to find a safe that in a place that they can go. You have to ready for them. So we are constantly making sure that we have the Services Available forho any child comes in. Miles an hour for the Homeland Security closely to make sure to child is coming to us for example covid19 positive and then we segregate the children, protect those were not feel so we have spaces and beds that are specific for kids positive with covid19 or who may have other Infectious Diseases for the particular and medical assistance so we have learned throughh the process we begin fr efficient read and that is a really important avenue becaue the process and efficiency process means that the kids ultimately will be in a home were Child Welfare should should be coming on in congress and congregate care setting. In response to the officer Inspector Generals concerns and also make some improvements to the online portion in oig claimed that these efficiencies and no are could increase the childrens risk of released to unsafe sponsors and what changes have been made to the qc portal and have these changes and Case Management and reduce risk and the placement process. Is the portal is a way to try to collect the information to help us verify that we have kids in t her care and we have to try to place them with a sponsor. How can we be assured that were. To place them with a safe and prepared sponsor prayed the portal helps us collect a lot of the information to make sure that we ultimately when we make that release that discharge, is going to be a good one for the child. Secretary think every leadership and for your concern and think you for making these improvements. Thank you. Thank you jim and back now recognize chairwoman of the full committee ms. Rogers five is questioning. Mr. Secretary are here today because the offices inspector length or independent investigation is that like on numerous occasions, your are our resettlement has built and probably care for unaccompanied children and employees andnd contractors have reported pervasive senseon of despair and children who have reported experiencing the stress and anxiety and panic attacks in other instances children have been specifically harmed and harming themselves due to negligence the ig report found that no are eliminated critical to carson sponsors process thereby the right potentially increasing the risk of relieved and released to the unsafe sponsors on what asking you guarantee the no child is responsible for, that you can save sponsor looking to a explot their labor and can you guaranteeha that. Can you say is not that they do not place children household be convicted offenders are child abusers. Madam chair i know your moment of indebtedness bureau few times you can says wrote about anything but your kids with thousands of kids with her what i will tell you is that the challenge face to majorleague children apartment for Public Places when we take very seriously as we do everything we can to bet the sponsors. Next week claiming my time, you only conducted child abuse and neglect projects and 9 percent of the cases in 2021. Redoinghe these checks and 100 percent of the cases today has no. We are doing very thorough vetting process for any sponsor to make sure that we understand it that keeper the opportunity for them. My question was are you doing 100 percent the background checks make sure that these kids are not going into the households of abuse offenders. We checked for criminal records of every potential sponsor. Fbi checks. We do background checks so the fbi uses these and they usually do a lot of these for. I look forward to see that confirmed theres a lot of questions i have about unaccompanied minors but i have time to do want to turn to the questions of brown reappointing the nih officials including doctor project the terms expired in january or december of 2021 and tsarnaev for 2023 assistant secretary melanie similar history stating that the picture and point the dark there is a benign edges of his head centers in the nih director being the recommending official, to be clear, the letter state that nih ip directors recommended for appointment by the nih director and approved for appointment by the secretary off health and humaner services, within receivd a letter last friday, also from secretary that contradicts the main fifth letter and said that hhs now believes the nih director make a point during herself im hoping to ask some question when that we first asked of march of last year. Who appoints or who reappoint, who reappoint the icy directors of the terms expired in december of 2021 me as an are you claiming then that nih director Francis Collins signed the appointment paperwork. Minute chair we have sent to you whether letter or early appointment so weve made, are valid. We stand by those appointments and if you read the statute very clearly the director shall be appointed by the secretary acting through the director. Only cleaning mckay mystery form and nih are hhs which director signature reappointing the rest of the icy directors with dr. Anthony fauci and if soan why would you not provided to a. Madame chair, theres ample evidence of the process we use. It is valid under law and the point was we have made we stand by them. So mr. Secretary, is as. Forr letter and we provide us any documentation doctor collins appointed reappointing these directors. Although we have already provided you with a lot of information more than willing to havem my team followup with yu in the particular questions about seen it yet and on june 8th, 2023, engine 15 to 2023 coming sign affidavits ratifying the election effectively reappointing certain nihpp director said was the firt time that you cited documented related to the reappointments. Can you just say has no. And again, the evidence. Reporter yoke. Okay, okay, what evidence. The process that weve appointed, weve answered these questions and thank you get. I have to see the document i have another question do you agree that i met edge qualifies the interior officers of the u. S. Yes or no. Can you repeat it. Are there inferior officers of the u. S. We can go into the questions of how to interpret a particular word bureau there. But when im saying to you is that the appointments the reappointments of our personnel and nih are directors, was done validly. You are an attorney in your hundreds of lawyers, does the hhs officials believe the constitution think nih icy directors are inferior officers or not and thats it question i would like to have answered. And we believe that the process we use to appoint those nih directors are valid. So are they inferior officers. I can get back to you have a conversation more detailed some point if you want myself of what i will tell you as those icy directors are working properly because they were validly appointeder reappointing cementd i dont send the documentation i like to ask unanimous consent to enter into the record New York Times article entitled, and one questions on validity of 46 judges and i would like to suggest that you read it yourself six judges who are appointed by the patent and trademark office, not the secretary of commerce are minute justice is admitted the edappointments were improper the situation similar to this one of the article makes clear wellestablished inferior officers must be appointed by the president or the secretary and unanimous content. Please put this in a statement that will be taken up at the end of their and this young lady yields back and i know recognize ms. Skip from colorado for her. Private us oh sorry, i did it again and im sorry mr. Pamonas comeback and he is in order to get his questions asked me back thank you mr. Chairman earlier this year the New York Times made the claim that hhs cannot reach 85000 children after they were released from oh are our care weve seen in the media elected officials suggest that these children had gone missing. And i think that is the mischaracterization of the facts is an mr. Sec. I would like you to clarify the statistics and explain what claims that or are a lot of these kids to go missing is an accurate does not reflect outut or our checks upon childrens relief. First thank you for asking the question because again, this work we seen the greatest amount of misunderstandings or perhaps put them up misinformation of the work we do. And as have repeated over and over, we lose custody im sorry custodial care and responsibility for these children when we release them to be petted sponsor and that means that are authorities the monitor followup are only 12 the child in sponsor want to engage with usan in and so because it gets more difficult and the references in the New York Times article are two voluntary calls that we make, three times return to reach each child and threetime separately we try to reach each sponsor andpo check n to find out how the child is doing in transition. Theres no requirement for the sponsor or the top toys we call the Community Number of reasons why the children or sponsors may not answer the. Call. That does not mean that the children are lost in suggesting that any type of numbers relate to those calls shall be lost kids, is category false. I appreciate that and i think you also said that or was able to reach the child sponsor with an 81 percent of the households that was my recollection. And thank you covenant required to. And we are after trying to get to them but they are not required to get back to us and with the sponsor. All right, i appreciate that was pleased to see or due to to remove the department of labor so the information about the department of intake estate investigations can be used to is but could you explain how house they integrated information from the department of labor into a sponsor screening process and how does this information better equipped oh are to detect and prevent trafficking. Probably the easiest example to understand is the hotspots. The dol is finding that there are certain hotspots in the countryy were child labor exploitation is occurring, if they played that for us, this region this town and city, of america, there are lots of employers who are scrupulously firing children and forcing them to do work. We can then take that information and take more care when someone applies to be sponsor is coming from the region. Rebel now with more fertilizer and foremost memorandum with permanently were to actually keep actual data knots were the hotspots information but particular data which helps us dig deeper more granular trying to find out if this potential sponsor is someone we should avoid. To my think you could think you would finally of the paulding to see the nieman as the House Republicans expressedr their outrage at the molestation of unaccompanied minors post relief, the republicans on the o appropriations subcommittee overseeing hhs funding, riesling voted in favor of a measure the funding by 50 percent and you know this kind of cut wood devastating effects on orrs ability to identify abuses and think you may have already commented about this but if you want to say anything more about the impact of the 60 percent cut seto orr funding in terms of the office have the ability address Child Exploitation and provide care about any company or. Future child of our child or anyone is entitled, its hard Supportive Care it would be impossible to do that is because if that were to go through this minor budgeting, and make it tough for us just to provide the care whether in our custody and i cannot tell you what would you two are adverse to try to reach out to the children we actually rely on Congress Giving us extra money so we can for two our core activity be carried for the child while there are with us but then we try to go other do more, once we release them to a sponsor, i do see how we would get to do any of those think. I appreciate your work in the catholic these violations and childrens rights and why so Important Congress provides orr usually needed including funding theul support for the whole population and thank you and i yield back. Thank you now mr. Duncan from South Carolina for five minutes of questioning. Thank you and clearly care about children using the sound freedom. Thats that new movie put out know i have not. I recommend that you see engineer globally, too many children to superior. Never to be seen from again and sold into trafficking in slavery. Bike just mentioned that i was former current attorney general and state ofca californa and investigated it when i printed and arrested and prosecuted. I appreciate that working i know that and i know your heart and so the movie is phenomenal. It was an hhs other dhs got it in columbia 2014. In the atrocities against unaccompanied children should come to noco surprise considerig who the u. S. Department of health and humanre services hirg in cary secretary are you aware of hhs is only awarded 75 billiondollar contract for a forprofit companies that have zero childcare experience. Congressman, if you can give me details i could try to respond to your question. They specialize in aviation Environmental Solutions and engineering and j j Worldwide Private Equity Company the gotta start custodial services and facility management. Qualification as a custodial company have to provide medical and Mental Health care to children tobin through extraordinary trauma. What i can tell you is that anyone 60 contract with hhs to provide services unaccompanied children have to go through rigorous formal process and establishh long time. What do they, coastal the company, but expertise to they have inventing and excepting say placement for children and interested in you . Will you tell you that we do not contract with anyone to get up provide services mimic 75 billion follicles will be give you an hundred crane. So would you. Had your child or to one of these companies is no experience in child here. None asking mee is that paint Rapid Development inc. And another forprofit with little to no experience in childcare, 3. 48 billion to care foril unaccompanied minors President Joe Biden took office and going to the cummings website, Rapid Deployment specializes in Wastewater Treatment and electric you secure the operations in iraq and afghanistan the regency hired his company to operate emergency influx site which is been wildly reported as having horrible conditions. They have also been whistleblower allegations of child abuse and oig report, and even higher servpro the plug repair remediation cutting abuse you care workers and you think that remediation specialist and utility worker should be caring for tens of thousands of children. Congressman, all of the entities and contractors that we work with have to show that they can actually do the work this necessary to stand up facilities and operate the facilities and today you that we are offering more services told the children that have ever been offered before because when i enter now able to work with people who understand with a new. For environment in Wastewater Treatment that sounds like what it is why modesto to investigate these contracts, because of the five is huge obvious, to you that forprofit companies are putting on these programs, because they can be paid hundreds of millions of dollars in some cases, billions of dollars, the work they are not qualified for, face no repercussions for doing a terrible job in reno concerned with the president of under precedents that you can talk children without consequences. It is a sin, we go through an established process pretty but he wishes to work with the federal government and especially they are going to work in an area they have with migrant or minor children as of the workor we do is very challeg and very important do it rights of the contractors that we employ, whether it is set up her facility, actually operating go through significant betting process qualified. Im going to talk to determine and try to get oig to investigate these contracts wouldat ask you as your secretay to look into that no miscue today, have you look into it, to get back with me in my office about the services these companies provide. Any irregularities and any cause for alarm, because we both have perfect children all make sureey theyre taking care of. Im also concerned about children released into the country as chairman mentioned earlier, without tying in that familiar relationship because maureen about where these children and up. Even in this country, when we have trafficking in every major sporting event has prostitution, and ensure the children and slave trade here in this country, make sure the children who were sent here by their parents, from these triangle countries or latin american countries to make their way north, tens of thousands of dollars paid by those parents so north and those children are entering the or slave trade. I look forward to your response and then i go back. The gentleman yield back and now the next person for five minutes. Thank you mr. Chairman and thank you mr. Secretary forca coming. In your testimony about the various challenges are faces and highquality care for unaccompanied children, hospitable government approach we heard about Orrs Department of labor of trafficking and i know orrs porch was State Government sent home state of california included therese we settle certain refuges and pry them at services, make sure this effort is coordination remains helpful andhe productive prettyo tell us how orr is working to improve cooperation with state and local governments i think ts came up a former particular with respect to childrens with post release services. Garbageman, thank you for the question i want to salute folks in our state of california, for their cooperation a local level, to work with us when we had stand up under very difficult and emerging circumstances back in 2021 from the facilities be able to provide shelter events forvi children we were able to work with city of long beach, the county of los angeles with the cities san diego and to stand up facilities and we use and we had choice but to use Convention Centers. We turn Convention Centers into a place for children to sleep and eat, gather care at all the synchrotron with a strong cooperation of the local leadership in those cities and counties thats when we continue to do with once we have release date a child to embedded sponsor, were we try to be post Relief Services, sometimes we coordinate work closely with local Government Services that are there will do everything we can to make sure that we are working closely with the partners. The city county and state level. Thank you appreciate the work of the federal government. We can all come together to use that asset and sadly was not used for conventions, thats a really smart thing to do with the time and i guess little states probably working as productivelye without orr refusing to license orr facilities in their states. In a state refuses to collaborate, with the other side vented our children for what is orr doing to support children and states we dont maybe have the same kind of that. We had a couple of circumstances were states actually try to deice us the facilities that we use to provide care we seek facilities that will care for these children while we have them in our custody that are licensed in a constant process, and received a state license actually upper character children. We dont just care for these kids facility without people who aree trained. License care facilities we use were we can believe it or not, there are some states that are trying to prevent us from actually providing the care for these unaccompanied children through licensed facilities. It obviously harms the children if we cannot try to protect them by having people on through the licensing process is what we have dennis decide if theyre going to serve the responsibly we will do what you would expect which is make surexp that we abe by those standards that would be required of any facility did get a license. Entrance was compensated free fatal conditions and in this case, this year when you do to ensure that all children and orr care app access to highquality medical care and can you talk about this in terms of your ability to follow up under the current law. This where these license care facilities are so important because they dont get a license unless they can provide that level of service in some cases Healthcare Medical services and we make sure that children receive the services that you would expect of any child. Kids are kids and were to treat them like you can or mike into reading with skip, children should not have to go through trauma being mistreated simply because we dont know they are at the not been around for long time. So we will provide whatever healthcare is available. To her facility has a mice we actually send them to medical facilities and surrounding areas and oftentimes we have had kids who come with preexisting medical conditions and weve had circumstances what weve h had children who were terminally ill. Mr. Chairman, secretary running out of time in the pocket but i want to say that i think that everybody here understands that orr has a heavy responsibly with children i dontt think you for exercising the leverage of partnerships with state or counties local organizations to make sure that we take care of these kids. Thank you for your hard work and if we can be helpful, little is known by yield back. The gentleman yields back i now recognize the woman from alabama for five minutes of questioning. Thank you mr. Chairman, secretary and he to do this but i have concerns butr testimony based on testimony that you gave in another hearing and april 27, 2022 ande the commerce subcommittee, and that hearing i ask you, but a final rule that included a provision that will provide financial for doctor to creating eight intake racism. Im having a difficult time hearing you and i said that i asked you a question about provision in a finalal rule the provide incentive for the doctors antiracism plan and your response was that we do not have a policy as you described in the testimonies before you underlined and highlighted and he went on to say this, use these words multiple times thus far in this hearing too much of this is driven by myth and disinformation pretty you said that i would challenge you to show me where carl policies quickly anything that we are doing antiracism policies the very next day, the ways and Means Committee hearing, Ranking Member jason smith, now chairman jason smith, asking basically the same question prayed and you responded my opinion rather dismissively that no such plan existed and use it but i think its unfortunate that tooin much misinformation and disinformation is put other i what is being done this way confuses americans. Chairman smith and i submitted a letter to you pointing this out. And we p pointed out that you sd that hhs does not have a policy as you were referring to me describing that much of this is driven by myth and disinformation one day later is always in many Means Committee get the same response and dismissed questions and he responded to chairman smith letter you did not respond me. In the bottom of the page, it created an implement antiracism plan and proven activity hhg adopted through notice and comment and also provided the cover page for the role was dated november 19th of 2021 more than five months and right outside five months before the hearing and also provide you with a section in the proposed activity title would you read that. You like me to what. The future years, click togetherer there. And it should be about the second group of documents and i will read it for you. The proposed activity child created and implemented antiracism plan, and proposed activity disruption it says an understanding of race as a political and social constructs, not as a physical or physiological what. Final action after consideration of Public Comments finalizing this activities proposed in this very problematic for me. Because i was very differential to you and that hearing and you commented on it. In the transcript. And i expected an honest answer and i must think that you can give an honest answer because if you answered truthfully, that means you did not know what was going on in your own agency. So what i want to note today, mrmr. Secretary, did you answer honestly you uninformed five months after this role was submitted. Will first let me thank you for the way you posted question and i think you for the information you have before me i can guarantee you when i answered your questions answer them honestly the best of my knowledge and if you were providing me with information that shows something consistency, and may have set out take a look at this to try to get back to you but first and foremost, i only that because of the way you respectfully ask the question. And i will respectfully respond back to your question. I certainly congress and served us attorney general i take this very seriously. What prompted this is constant reference to disinformation misinformation worry are very concerned about the boboli being of the children we have evidence things are not as well because maybe you think they are. I want to get to the bottom of this but i also want to make sure that when any member comes before congress and take an oath to give truthful testimony that thats exactly what we get. Im going to enter this into the record and followup on this later and i respect you and your willingness to respond backac to us and clarify the record without by yield back and to enter this. And we will take that up at the end of the hearing and i assume you provided that to step so they can provided to the democrats as well. You very much. Thank you, and the gentleman yield back and i recognize it emily from colorado. Mr. Sec. From its great seeing you think you for coming over today ive been working on these orr issues for a long time as you know and frankly, your agency and the Biden Administration in general and heritage a terrible Immigration Crisis in particular gives we came across the border, under the trump policy of separation families really want to talk about that inn a minute with yu but they been devastating your agency is been trying to put it all together in a realtime basis i wantio to ask a couple f questions. The first thing that happened that unaccompanied minors comes across the border, and immediately placed in orr care, within 72 hours i think. They going to hear a cv in the process them and then they put them into our care and required to try to do that within 72 hours. That is correct and so then, the next thing that happened is the agency attempts to find relatives or other people in which to put the gives is that right. That is quite. And that happens with most of theseec kids. Is that correct. All the kids. Will youre find relatives of all. The vast majority binaural. Ascribing then you have a process most of the kids are pasted under place quickly butac not all of them as of the ones that are will this is where some of the small percentage you dont immediately find somethins on this where you take him into custody and you put them in these certifies of facilities that you try to find appropriate place to put these kids is that right. That is correct and over and over were looking for sponsors. Right then these kids are placed. And then there are these voluntary followup calls that are made to these families and is not right. Right. But under law, and families are not required to respond to that are they. And fourthly, that is correct. Right and so when you are looking for these these placements, as we told my colleagues that you do the background checks and you check out the homes range of the Home Inspections is that right. Correct. By the way, you do not have the ability legally to take these kids back into custody if there some kind of a problem and is not right. That is correct. And so all of this process, it is costly and it takes a lot of funny doesnt it. Absolutely. So if we werebe to cut orr so we are all concerned about these kids and i do believe my colleagues on the other side of the aisle they are all. We do care about these kids but you cannot do something with nothing. So iff you got the budget orr by 60 percent, i was a big part of you to do all those procedures smith just hard but impossible. You could not do the project and you cannot run your Certified Centers you could not do the Home Inspections or do any of that for anybody right. It would be near impossible to do it all. You dont have to answer this, but it seems to me that everybody was so concerned about these children, they would increase your budget, so that you could do a more thorough investigation so that you have better care forbe these kids and so that you could really serve them right. Children are children and we owe them care. Right and okay when you get a quick report and running out of time. In may of this year, we still had 80868 kids from the previous trump ministration separation of families that we had thought found there about the ones and not reunified is getting harder and harder as time goes by because many of those parents have gone back to the countries. Give a status report for me what is going on without. We followup view most of that activity is handled by the department of Homeland Security we work with them when they are shook minor children. If you can get back to me, that would be great to know how many of those 868 kids we found their family and then what we are continuing to do about the rest of them. We had will i was the chair then we had a lot of hearings on it which was just heartbreaking with the Trump Administration did to those kids pretty. Thank you and yield back. Thea young lady yields back you know i the vice chair of the subcommittee. Thank you mr. Chair. Thank you secretary sec Xavier Becerra i have the requirements here needed to become a Foster Parent for dogsan and cats throh city dogs and city cuties rescued in dc. All the people wanted to take a dog or a cath into their home summa need to fill out an application and are interviewed by the rescue shelter and their home is inspected. And sec Xavier Becerra to the inspected homes of 100 percent of the perspective sponsors. Thank you foror the question. Yes or no please. 100 percent, do you inspect all of the homes yes or no 100 percent of these authors, do you inspect the homes of the unaccompanied children for the sponsorsro. Will often do homestay. Bouygues that iscr i know. One of you who do not which i assume you dont, since you did not answer yes or no, why is it that dogs and cats living Foster Parent in dc home summa get a more thorough vetting in their home and they are inspected another sponsors of unaccompanied children being put into homes. Congress woman, we do a thorougha vetting process. You inspect all of the homes. We do a thorough vetting process of the individual. You are not answering safece question is in arizona, an individual seeking to become a foster or adoptive parent, and all adults livingst in that same household, must fasten fbi and local criminal background check at a level one fingerprint clearance card issued by thehe department of public safety. What percentage of the sponsors have completed fbi projects. Every person who wishes to become a sponsor closer background check, before they can participate. What percentage of fast fbi projects. Any number of projects that they go through including you not answering again what percentage of the sponsors have wintergarden offender checks. Anybody was just to be a sponsor. 100 percent. That is one of the checks that we deal. 100 percent on all of the sponsor. Anybody wishes to be acr sponsor. They have to go through the background check. And so 100 percent in your testimony that 100 percent of the proposed perspective sponsors get a background check on the fbi background check of offender registry. Will i have answered your question will say it once again. Youre not answering the questionue. So congresswoman, i have answered your question i will say it again, every person who wishes to become a sponsor must go through a background check and it could include fingerprinting, including voluntary dna testing, but it certainly includes things like offender check. It includes it with but youve not answered at 100 of the sponsors are required to fasten fbi check and a abuse child abuse neglect registry check. Written testimony list of things we do to go through the vetting process and if you would like to followup with further detailed. No i would like you to answer the question of 100 percent of the sponsors have to fasten fbi background check. And i said congresswoman. Just a yes or no that would be simpler wouldnt. By mr. Big question. No you have it. The answer is that we make sure that every person that wishes to abide via sponsor must go through rigorous set of tests including background check. Well, you have not said if they have to do it fbi check and you have not said if 100 percent of them have to do is abuse for child abuse child abuse and neglect registry check as is required in arizona for Foster Parents enemy and so why is it orr has different standards for checking in arizona does for vetting Foster Parents. Is it because there unaccompanied children because of illegaldr immigrants, what is the reason. Congresswoman, thats an excellent question because youre equating we have with the foster p care program and thats the crux d of the problem, we do not have the same authority that a Foster Care Program has in your state. We cannot track these kids k the waiting you might want to track them. I didnt say tracking im talking about vetting the sponsor. It is the same process in order to place someone. An individual. [inaudible]. They have to go through a process. Sec Xavier Becerra if you are vetting the sponsors so greatly that have according to the lord estate weight grand jury documents, one thing the family in austin, texas, had more than 100 children placed by orr another texas address that 44 children and one third had 25, n pennsylvania, one caseworker told the times and that he went to check on his child released to a man who had a sponsor, 20 other miners and i do not think that you are doing an adequate and without my yield back. The gentle lady yields back. Now i recognize miss illinois for her five minutes of questioning. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman thank youk so much sec xavier becerr, for being here today. I am just amazed at the attacks that you are experiencing from the republicans right now. Intellectually, we are talking about these imMigrant Children, and yet the republicans want to stock the vetting or telephoning for the office of Refugee Resettlement. There were 3. 360 million percent but. So the same time, they wanted about what youre doing and what youre not doing, and yet seen incredible cut. I am absolutely appalled and even in life, of these horrendous allegations, and cooperations that exploiting these unaccompanied children. And i do not see for the republicans are doing any favors to these children we talk about such an enormous cut. Summa want to ask you, what are the implications of these cuts in the funding for orr and what is this actually going to do so that the children, that they in the name of this hearing, stopping exploitation of Migrant Children. I just dont see how it happens when you have a big cut like that but you tell me. Congresswoman, theres no way we can sustain the level of cut. The care and wellbeing of the children, you cannot do it in the jeep and you have to provide them with appropriate services and certainly have to let go of services that are not required by law such as our most of our followup care we try to provide after we have released a child into a vetted to sponsor. So the followup calls and the average try to recheck people in would be wellnigh impossible to do with the level of cuts that the house is proposing. I think this cuts would undermine our ability to provide care while the kids are in our custody just no way that we can sustain that level of cut. Let me just say, weve been dealing with this issue and you been dealing with this issue, for a long time read and if were going to be able to move forward and actually addressing this ongoing problem which in many ways, has been created. Some ofom it, we can help and se of it we have both are very congress itself is certainly cuts and unfortunately i was at another hearing as a ranking of the subcommittee i cannot be herere and i do not understand e rationale when were talking about trying to protect these children and saying that the way we going to do it nearly 60 percent cut in the funding thatun we will this and not havg been here is there anything you want to add and set the record straight. Person whom are much for thay opportunity, i think you said it well, over the past two years, been able to stabilize very challenging process of caring for the kids who often times as you know,wi are coming with trauma. The experiences harrowing often times many of the kids have come facing abuse. In trying to provide them with the care while the waiting to go through their immigration proceedings, thats not easy as some cheap and theres no way to do the job that everybody here said that they expect if your estimated in the funding for the program and that is for the kids, this is a program for kids and oh people understand they wish us to do more work even after we have placed them a vetted sponsor i would urge them to issue legislation that change the authority to help us try to do with the things that people are accusing orr of doing orr when we make an effort on around voluntarily to recheck to children even though not required to respond back it would be helpful if we have the right resources in the right authority all feel more about how any Company Children are treated by hope, just we were doing this hearing, about hh ssn orr within thiswi case that the chairman will issue an order to be hearing those employers that have exploited children to come testify here to you by the breaking law and making kids to dangerous thing. Thank you i appreciate that meal back. Now call on represented crenshaw for five minutes of questioning. Thank you manager. I want to recognize off the bat, is an impossible job may be helpful for the callings on the other side of the aisle tried impossible job so i will remain consistent. And recognize this is an impossible job. What makes it a lot more impossible, is when theres a lot more and company minors coming over the border. And we are looking at fiscal years, 2020, versus 2021, april increase company minors coming acrossss the border one and 5000 up to 122,000, that was awesome random occurrence because of covid19, number has remained actually increase thats why 22, was 120,023, is on track to again, another 120,000 what you agree, wouldnt you rather live in a world where orr is not required basically is this giant orphanage for people coming across her children coming across the border wouldnt it be better if it didnt have to end better if it didnt write seen accomplishment, we face the prospect of having to provide the care will do what we can. Of course would you rather live in a world would you do not have to do that it is for the children are worse for children to go across the International Border unaccompanied. Of course is worse. Of course it is. And so we have eightfold increase and now makes your job evermore impossible than it already was. His humanitarian crisis and you cannot imagine what changed between the years 2020, and 2021. Anybody have other than elections, about policy changes, created a magnet for unaccompanied minors to come across. And all of these problems we are talking about with the sponsorships and intake and try to vet the sponsors and child labor and trafficking, they become exponentially worse because theres naval increase the number of kids actually coming across. And how about that. You guys are just try to deal with that and i get it im not going to vilify you the way my democrat colleagues vilify the lesson ministration but heres a specific question, kids about policies, i was looking for some policy i want to do when they go missing is actually much easier to find your lgbtq guide is in this concerns me a little bit. Maybe a lot of it in your guidance is making housing assignments for transgender care providers youth gender self identification, care providers must not make housing assignment decisions for the youth on the is one of provide this following scenario 17 oh boy i know you guys separated by gender normally right i hope so and 17 yearold boy tells you all that he is a girl, is he automatically just to place new girls womens facilities, is that how the process works. Thank you for the question. In hss we have a legal obligation safely humanely care for. Is that have a process works. We really good to say, acting good faith with you hope is on the process works right and most are actually 15 yearold or you describe them as children. We provide all the children the care with a human rights protectionsfr discrimination. So it should not work that way okay at least one member of congress is telling me the truth and should not work that way to put girls in danger. They were younger age. All right, one move on to a couple of other things there is something you center testimony that the sponsors are not required to answer your calls when you do that followup. Whose rule is that is that hhs or a statute and why cant we make them answered the phone they dont, why cant you send Child Protective Services after the thank you for the question. We do not have the authorities to require them to respond. Why not. Sending to be a statute. This is that change anything happen okay, that is helpful. Gang affiliates i am out of time to respond by michael his previous question about how these kind of cases happen were talking about an awesome were goingre sponsor requested and yu get 20 different kids time and time again this when it 44 children, please explain how that happens in a you back. Not familiar with that circumstance and every sponsor has to go through a thorough vetting process anybody best of leg of having tried to sponsor 43 previous kids would certainly be flagged. Measure of zoning about the amount of time. Gentlemen youll spec recognize a gentleman from well is a wave so sorry, i recognize mr. Armstrong for five ms. Questioning. Thank you mr. Chairman wee purchase money in different committees and whether things is pretty much any Border Patrol agent that weve heard from or where ever we are at is that the cartels and operational control the entire northern one third of mexico pretty this congress may receive testimony in thehe Oversight Committee from Border Patrol that every person who reaches the southern border and this point is that the cartels at some point. If the gentleman can speak up. Has had to deal the cartels is appointed time you dont have any reason to disagree with the statement would do you. I would not have the details that they can probably give you veterans are. And you know, is not a gotcha question was one of the problems that we run into. An earlier you said we do everything we can to ensure these oncoming minors are not subjected entered subjectively were even after they lose cured testing control the problemem is whether statutory theres been a lot of talk about it and everything you can is not much. That is correct. But you do have control over is the intake when the intake when they get into your custody and if you have 128,000 which mr. Crenshaw was just talking about up from 15000, and we know thatat distant at the very leas, the vast majority of those unaccompanied minors that are getting toni the border have too the cartels on the way to get there and 70 plus percent are over the age of 15 and what is your intake process. This is apa High Risk Group of people come the cartels are not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts and give if you have 16 oh boy or girl getting to the border, they families wherever it is also indoor mexico or somewherehe else prety there is a some semblance of an arrangement in which the cartels there this before we talk about abuse physical abuse all the other oars that exist when they get there so we know you lose operational control after you place and all of the vetting which theres been a lot of talk in windsor intake process for these highrisk kids that do not want to tell you the truth and they are absolutely terrified of what will happen to them or their families, actually doing get you in a real meaningful conversation. To my you for the question, because you pointed out, so the real challenges that we face, and i am going to leave the question about the background of the children to the department of Homeland Security because they do that initial assessment of the child when they encountered child. Is actually not okay but if thats a policy change you have them for specific period of time and we can talk to anybody whos been on this other southern border that the vast majority that those children coming to the border and not all 17 yearolds are created equally and in streets of el salvador is something you had a pretty hard like already but i i dont wanto talk about that part of it and want to talk about the ones we exist in space what we have a finite amount of time to deal with whatever metrics went that are going on the lifelike they got them to the border is one of the background is how you do a assault intact. We do a pretty thorough on intake as well but it wanted to between intakesh with security, any issues have criminal backgrounds versus hours which is more. A lot more worried the health and welfare of the kids you get it will do the other stuff later because that exist in real meaningful way we know their kids are getting that once we get to mexico or to the United States beforere we get there thats a whole different issue. And im talking of this intake because from all of your testimony today, you have very limited ability to date with any of this after they leave you. They leave your facility but what are we doing with them there. So the assessment that we are doing our their status and their Health Status under situation in terms of who could care for them because we little them temporarily our assessments unlike dhs assessment or purposes that understanding the status and wellbeing of the children so we do intake, we do clinical assessments and case reviews and we do an assessment of any child and professionals in Child Welfare to understand whos coming into our doors and then we continue process during the Case Management to figure out if the child can be placed okay unless a specific question we can two l seconds left unit o 120,000 what is the difference in numbers of the kids you identify as being trafficked in some way and for labor and assault physical assault or any thinkk that is the other thing thats out of the numbers number of those kids who have to deal with the cartels in order to get here are into your facility. And so i get department of Homeland Security would be doing that initial check to find out if this is a child that is coming in with trafficking background. Trafficking, we also then do an assessment and we provide actually Additional Services by law, by the way, thats in the statute, that we provide Additional Service for any child that we get into our care who we get information that they may have been trafficked in advance. So mr. Armstrong but a 16yearold girl who has been threatened with her parents getting killed if they talk to you and then you have them for a finite period they talk to the to have them for a finite period of time and kick them out. And for whatever reason, we know this is happening. What are the increased number in trafficked kids comparative to the numbers . Do not have the specific numbers like a mixer my team gets back to you. I yield back. Adjournment yields back now recognize a gentle lady from florida for five mins of questions. Thank you secretary becerra. I want to start with your attention here on this jar, do you see this . Do you know what this is . Looks like candies or stacks . Quick some portion of the reality is much more grand prix dessert wristbands the cartels forced people to wear when they cross the border. If you are not wearing one and you cross the board of the cartels will take a limb or appendage. This is what these people are forced to work dictate what cartel they belong to, and how much they have paid it. They are absolutely a part of the horrors of trafficking and smuggling that happens or a southwest border. I have to point this out because i want to tell the journey. This is been laid out in bits and pieces along the way by my colleagues. Out we are here to talk about these kids. If you could turn your attention to the screen it real fast i want to show a quick photo that i took. 11 46 p. M. At night i my self took this photo. That little girl that you see was acting terrified it. Not of the agents, not of myself but the man holding her. The very next day at the processing facility we threatened and i was there to witness this, this man with a dna test. He confessed he actually is not her father he had rented her. This is a process called recycling. I know what her to talk with happens to these kids after this point. But this little girl was then turned over too hhs custody, your custody pretty talked at length today about the vetting process, right . You now know this little girl, not through a dna test shes not related to that man apart shes s now in your custody. You have your own case managers who are supposed to vet these processes. With course know this before the grand jury these case managers have very little training or no training. The interview these individuals particular children and Young Children who have been traumatized. You can imagine this a man who you just saw on the screen which by the way was a convicted back offender with this child. You can imagine the trauma that child had to abstain print your own case managers are not trained in examining, evaluating or recognizing documents is authentic or fake she came with him documents. They have no official training when it comes to trauma informed interviewing skills. No official training when it comes to investigating the safety or legitimacy of addresses to which a you a seat may be sent. Now, i do not what know what happened to that little girl. But what i do know is the sponsors that you claim to have thoroughly vet which i would love to get your definition of thorough because youve not been able to articulate that here today. It also would include the fact these kids show up with numbers pinned to their close or sharp bead on their bodies to call. Agents have reported official testimony that these kids had the numbers the same phone number sharp bead on their arm time and time again. Now, we have heard of course of situations where the same sponsor is being called. Magically 20, 30, 40 kids end up with that sponsor. And again i go back to your statementve of we thoroughly ve. You really emphasize that. Do you vet every member of the household question what does it include an fbi check . Does it included in triple check . I would hope that it would consider it with at what her 51 the southwest border under the Biden Administration. Im guessing that it doesnt because only 9 of you acs are subjected to a dna test with their sponsor, lesson 23 to a background check. And again i should point out for the record the fact that you released these folks, these kids to sponsors that arery in the country illegally. By definition they have already broken the law. Is it a standard operating children intoase the hands of sponsors in households that haveer not been properlyan vetted . And that are here in the country illegally . I think i heard a question there so i will try to respond you packed a lot in there. A lot has misinformation and that i disagree with. I could first start by saying we do go through a thorough process on the assessment of the child and the child first comes to our assessment too. And going to reclaim a time secretary what is your definition of thorough . Invention in a previous break what does it include a dna test . An assessment of the child too. Know that is not my question my question is does it include a dna test yes or no . What dna is where the tools that we use on occasion. Whats it only 9 of the cases. Does it include a background check . Due to a number of things to go through a series of tests and assessments of a child we get them. A background check and only 23 of the cases. The dna by the way that you rely on in your oh are our case managers, if you could please pull up exhibit two, this shows the dna requirements that you rely on in the case files, i realize this is cbp document but this memo is something that is really important to what we are talking about because so much of the case files your case managers rely on embedding these thorough checks that suspended the dna requirements. I am out of type i know you wont answer the question anyway. And it deviate from your carefully crafted talking point. Iis think this is discussing 850 children are missing and that is on your watch the gentle it yields back i reckon its the judgment from North Carolina first by means of questioning. Quick thank you, mr. Chairman thank you mr. Secretary for being here today. Precedents ares bidens first y in Office Dozens of donald trumpsse commonsense policies common sense policiesmaintain ar reverse. Pulses like rate in mexico, safe third country title 42, order construction was stopped even s though contracts were paid. President bidens secretary at mayorkas open border policies have Good National security and humanitarian crisis. The father secondgrader and congressman of Largest Military installation theal country, it s heartbreaking andfr frustratingo see this rapid decline border security. This admits ration open border policies only affected our nations border communities, but all communities including those in North Carolina. Because of the reversal of these policies are agency has been overwhelmed. The decision was made to weaken vetting procedures for sponsors at the expense of the safety of itunaccompanied minors in the communities across our nation. As we sought investigative report hhson as undone safeguars in place to make sure children are place was a sponsors. The result is been over 85000 lost children, until numbers have fallen victim to sexs labor trafficking. Secretary improves a set before me at a Health Subcommittee on 20may 12, 2021 progress you poit blank if youre planning on sending unaccompanied minors to North Carolina . You told me quote there is no plan that we had to shelter children in North Carolina. Your Staff Assistance in forming the office of Refugee Resettlement conducted an initial site visit at thed American Hebrew Academy in greensboro, North Carolina on april 22, 3 weeks before your testimony. Your people conducted a full formal Site Assessment on may 12. The date of your testimony your folks were on the ground in hNorth Carolina. Mr. Secretary it sure sounds like theres a plan to shelter unaccompanied minors in North Carolina. So i asked you on that day over two years ago, how would you characterize your answer to me . Were you intentionally lying top me and the people North Carolina would you say your carefully choosing your words . To mislead meet would you say youre being clever . What wordbe would used to descre your answer to me that day . Congressman, thank you for the question. I hope youll understand my answer i was completely honest with you because you asked me if we are planning to send kids to North Carolina. Two years ago we didnt have a facility that will be sending consumer through and it would go through the constant process as you probably heard regards im sorry. We look for sites over the country. We are in 27 states were casa looking for sites free today we are looking at a particular site in greensboro. That is the absolute truth but what i said she then was accurate related think you know i hope youll understand will be accurate as well. Well, on the day you said there are no plans or people doing a formal second site visit in North Carolina for cook congressman captains in the process. We put out a word we are looking for potential sites. We have no idea whats going to come in everyone has an opportunity because we have a process for food has a chance to show us that they have a good site. At that point in time we had no idea there be a particular site in greensboro that we could use. There might have been interest but two years later we still do not have an open site. Be careful using the word plan we dont have a plan to try to trick me . Work so try to be honest with you if u. S. Me where we are right now with any particular site increase i will give you the details that i can give you today with what i know. I cannot predict but i could not a predicted two years ago where we be today. Again we still do not have a particular center opened in greensboro, North Carolina. Okay we will agree to disagree on that. But speaking of that, i want to know why we even need the facility North Carolina question of the two influx care facility in texas are placed in warm status meeting there is no unaccompanied minors in care. And minimal facility Management Services on site your staff tolt of the plan through the greensboro influx care facility into warm status next month. To me this sounds like your department may be wasting taxpayer dollars into empty facilities in texas and plans open yet another but in North Carolina. Mr. Secretary to facility in texas will move down to warm status, what factors are you using to move the greensboro facility up to warm status . How are you using the same factors to justify two contradictory actions . What. Cognitive request with the sites for example fort bliss is a military installation. We were able in 2020 when will we need to find places, we physically stood up a site for kids at fort bliss is not supposed to be at a place we care for kids but we are looking for more permanent sites that is more amenable and accommodating to children. That is we put out the call all over the country. One of those sites that may ultimately go online is in greensboro because its going to be one that we have actually stood up to provide for services to kids not a military installation. Im out ofli time but i belie when i asked you to years ago do you have any plans to put children in North Carolina to be thought of something rather than saying we dont have a plan you should have said what you said today it would just we are looking everywhere for it we are looking at a site affect my people the ground today in north caroline are looking it is possible that wouldve been a more complete honest answer think. Congressman you approach us and very respectful way i hope i can say the same respect with you. I hope youll find as we develop the relationship and il hope tt i will be try to be as honest with you as i can progress and look forward to that, thank you yelled back. Food settlement yells back at work is a california for five minute of questioning. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Should this opportunity to have this discussion a public discussion on this very, very important issue. Mr. Secretary, you have inherited a deeply challenging task and on the heels of the ioTrump Administration the egregious and inhumane family separation policy were charged with protecting kids who are increase in exploited and forced into child labor by u. S. Corporations. Being forced to work with unsafe machinery and hazardous materials, risking literally life and limb paid all this because of lackluster approach to protecting children by some of my republicand colleagues and twice impeach president who routinely vilified and mistreated immigrants. Let me be clear child labor is child abuse. This needs a strong legislative response at every level. Unfortunately current child Labor Protections do not go nearly far enough to deter Child Exploitations. Corporations, u. S. Corporations findnd ways to shield themselves from liability by employing thirdparty contractors for example. This deserves all of our attention. We need solutions designed to protect children. Meanwhile childbe labor laws are being systematically weakened by Many Republican legislators at the statee, level. For example in at least 10 states legislation has been proposed to rollback modest child Labor Protections in an attempt to enable multibilliondollar corporations to exploit children right here in america. ImMigrant Children are getting tangled in barbed wire and drowning in the rio grande texas. I hope we hear outrage of that for every Single Person in congress. The republicans are concerned about these kids, they would do everything in their power to make it safer for them to seek asylum. They would make it harder to exploit them and abuse them right here in our own country. Also what are the solutions that seems to be on the minds of some of my republican colleagues is claiming that the solution to the exploitation of unaccompanied minors is to shut down immigration of the southern border this approach is unconscionable and it is just unamerican its also untenable. Unaccompanied children of some e of the most vulnerable among us and the United States as a moral and legal obligation to ensure those children are safe. I refuse to have us turn our backs on children fleeing war, violence, persecution andnd abu. We could address exploitation by making short sponsor vetting reflects a best practices and equipped orr for post Relief Services and by having a 60 cut which is what some of my colleagues want to do is not a solution atis all. We should not tolerate simplistic and inhumane proposals the answer here is to shut down the southern border. It is time for us to get serious about how we can support these children and not inflict unnecessary cruelty on Vulnerable Children. I have a question for you secretary, how have state laws rolling back child Labor Protections impeded hhs ability to serve and protect unaccompanied children after being released from orr custody . Conquer something for the question if you know in order to be able to enforce laws that protect our children from exploitive labor we need to have a partnership with our state partners. It wont be enough to try to do it to the department of labor or hhs would need to work with the state partners devastate is diminishing its protections against child labor it sure makes it tough for us to go out there enforce against this type of exploitive practice for. By diminishing the local laws it encourages bad actors across this country to even do more. Have there been other efforts at the state level to restrict corporations with orr if so what presented the greatest challenges . Our challenge iss trying to make sure we can spot where the exploitive activity will occur and so we can make sure any sponsor who wishes to take a child would not engage in that activity in cahoots with those employers. The morris site we have a networking with the department of labor the more likely we will be to prevent the Child Exploitation occurs for. Department of labor at the federaled level this also departments at the local level andoc states, right . They are more important there on the ground have greater resources. And personnel to try to protect labor laws especially forab children. The department the federal level the department of labor is very stretched. We continue to do these partnerships so we can get the best efficiency out of our working together to protect thesee kids. I Hope Congress gives you more resources to the job that is needed to be done. My time has expired i yield back thank you progressive government yields back i recognition tennessee for five minutes for. Met thank you mr. Chair thank you cherry secretary for being her gut several questions are mainly gas or no space hhs Inspector General wrote in the fall of lesser quote some staff reported that they were hesitant to raise concerns about Case Management and childrens safety due to the fear of retaliation by overall facility leadership. Some cases reported actions of orr and facility leadership have reason for a whistleblowing chilling mr. Secretary, a new york leadership has hhs ever threatened to transfer, remove, suspend, revoke the privileges or dismiss anyone for concernins about orr sponsor vetting process yes or no . Congresswoman for. Is a yes or no, sir. I do not threaten, we do not threaten. Quickset is a nope would you tolerate under your watch to spending transferring, removing, not promoting, revoke and the privileges or dismissing anyone for raising concerns about orr policies, procedures or actions taken . Of a zero tolerance for any retaliation against whistleblowers. Okay for the New York Times reported in april this year immigration lawyer who helped that sponsors for hhs at her Building Access revoked, was firedaf within hours after emailing hhs about two potential sponsors she was concerned could beat labor trafficking Child Migrants. Mr. Chairman, asking hims consent to submit into the committee record the New York Times article april 17, 2023. Will take that up at the conclusion i assume you have copies of that. Yes, yes you do. Mr. Secretarys a egypt times article right or wrong . This is it right or wrong about what . Ou what about the question statement just made. About linda brown millivolt vet sponsors for hhs that she had her Building Access revoked was fired within hours after emailing hhs about a question about sponsors for labor trafficking Child Migrants . Present for me its from joan who work with the protected whistleblowers i can tell you now is secretary i do not tolerate on my watch any type of retaliation against whistleblowers but. I guess you dont know her leadership was she threatened to remove . On a specific case if you as youknow i cannot comment on y case before us. Chris according the same New York Times article jailing a senior hhs employee and a lifelong democrat was moved out of her position after she was informed Congressional Staff hhs Inspector General and her bosses that some sponsors were falsifying identities get unaccompanied migrants released to them. Did that happen mr. Secretary . Was she moved out of her position . Congress woman again with zero tolerance for retaliation is a yes or no if you dont know just say you dont know. Are asking cases specific asking information with specific as as you know i cannot comment. According to the New York Times to people who retaliate against raise concerns about sponsors, do you dispute New York Times article that under your leadership hhs retaliated against at least two whistleblowers . Again i would have to see this article but we dont retaliate against whistleblowers not under my watch. According to february 2023 New York Times article rather than listening to these concerns you were pressuring hhs employees and contractors to rush more children to the system faster. According to the times were captured on video saying to staff quote if henry ford had seen this in his plans he wouldve never become famous and rich this is not the way you do an Assembly Line is that how your administration is treating the release of unaccompanied minors like an Assembly Line that cannot stop to make sure that these miners are being released to us a sponsor yes or no . Congress when he made up an early response to that question. The information as it relates to the process we were talking about, not people when it comes to how we engage in efficient process to get children where they need to be. Mr. Chairman toscanos consent to into the committee record this february 25, 2023 2023progress has already been requested thank you. Mr. Secretary digital former orr director secretary cindy that you would fire her if she did not speed up the release that uac . Congresswoman, as i said i do not we do not tolerate pickwick so you do not know do you know why do you know why she resign . Lets have many conversations with the personnel at orr that is not a conversation have anyone. Okay did the unaccompanied alien children arriving at a bite administration or set up temporary emergency intake spots digital demand according to the dhs officer Inspector General one employee emergency and take fort bliss reported retaliation after raising issues about Case Management child safety, which cause hesitation among other staff who wish to share concerns. Several staff interviewed by eta just reported acknowledges staff that were allegedly dismissed or reassigned after expressing concerns. This is in addition to media reports of other retaliationai against orr staff and contractors is raise concern are you concerned at all that hhs oig found instances of retaliation against employees who raise those concerns, sir . Work closek with oig britain tended to a report and we follow the recommendations usually as quickly as we can. I can say to you once again when it comes to whistleblowing is important we protect those who are willing to come forward for good open government and hhs we do not tolerate anyone who tried to retaliate against whistleblowers were quick to generally yields back. Right nice gentle lady from california for five minutes of questions. Lipsynching mr. Chairman good afternoon mr. Secretary. Thank you for allowing me too waive on to subcommittee today. Like so many americans, mr. Secretary, i was really appalled by the New York Times investigative reports about the surge and illegal child labor in our country. We have a moral responsibility. A moral responsibility to ensure the children are not exploited on our watch. Before reading that investigative report i would have responded if asked about child labor in our country instead it was part of another century and it is gone. But on the heels of that i lead at 25 members in writing to you on may 25 about this horrible situation and we got a response this morning. I have been pouring over your letter since it has come in. But here are my questions. In the letter that i received this morning, assistant a secretary writes that orr internal audit found the agency quote adhered to its Program Policies and priorities designed to meet or exceed statutory requirements when vetting potential sponsors of unaccompaniedhi children. Honestly to know that sounds like to me . Nothing is wrong, we did everything right. But there are some terrible things that are wrong in my view and i think in others. If orr is meeting and exceeding its statutoryry requirements, wy are we witnessing such an alarming rise in the exploitation of children discharge from the agencys custody . And v, have the children and the sites they were found to be in, wheree they were located factories, slaughterhouses, construction sites, have they been removed from this places . And congressman are you asking how the child not been removed from the worksites . Thatot i could not answer becaue as again as i said and you probably were not here but we discussed how our authorities, our reach once we have placed a child in a sponsors hands we lose that responsibility. Quickly say this. I do not ever desired to be or will i be secretary in a president s cabinet. But honestly, if this came on my watch and even though that is not under my department, i would pick up the phone with the department of labor secretary in say i have some jurisdiction in this and it is a mess. We have done that. I want to highlight where these children are. We have done that. Congresswoman we have done that we have done more we entered into a formal agreement. Have they been removed from the sites . They are 13 and 14 yearolds working in slaughterhouses, factories. With the department of labor i can take back to them the questions are asking about whether there is a hasbeen enforcement of those worksites. And New York Times reports this was raised by another member, that you told cindy that if she could not increase the number of discharges that is of unaccompanied children you would find someone that could. I heard your answer you dont deny it you said but you wont say that you did because she cant talk about it. I think we need to do better, that is my real point i do not need to ask the question again. This is so unsettling. This is so unsettling. I guess it my age ill call them babies. They are the innocence of the world. This is really terrible. I think that the reporting of your threatening to fire her under undue pressure to expedite releases i hope you have gone back to review that. I do not know if you have it. Let me ask if you have gone back to review releases is too much speed and not precision relative the children and their lives and their wellbeing . Congresswoman as ive said before i have not threatened anyone in i do not threaten people. Did you speak to thisdi reporter or your shop say to this reporter its totally inaccurate . I never spoke to that pickwick should you read the full investigative report . Which investigation . And your times for. I read the article. I do not know if his investigative report it was an article had a lot of information i think misunderstands the weight orr operates. There is information in their my time has expired. I just want to say that reports of trafficking and abuse of imMigrant Children has more than doubled from 21 until 22. And really, at the end of the dates hhs secretary the buck stops with you. I can help, i can pray, i can press other h members have come members from both sides of the aisle. This is something that needs to be totally removed from taking placent in our country. Really, i think god is going to hold all of us responsible if this is not addressed in the way addresses it should be. Thank you yelled back for. Recognize a gentleman from georgia from five in its oh questions for. Thank you and thank you for like me too wave outub of the subcommittee. Mr. Secretary waiting to return to congress. Last time we had unfinished business. I want to shift gears a little bit thats okay appreciate my colleaguesom concerned about unaccompanied children, assure their concerns. But i have another concerns about inflationti reduction act specifically about the prescription portion of that for you and ive spoken about this before. This committee as well as on the budget committee. You have expressed instead is your personal belief Inflation Reduction Act would lead to more cheers being developed by the same pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies who do research and development. As you know professionally i am a pharmacist. I have seen nothing short of a miracle as a result of research and development. Thats why this is so important. I watched the families suffer. I have seen children lose appearance ive seen parents lose a children it is very important to me we continue the research and development and the in myugs ive witnessed career. Drugs that have nothing short of miracles. And yet again you maintain and set at our last time i had the opportunity to ask you questions that you believed Inflation Reduction Act is going to result in more cures. Researchers at university of chicago said they will eliminate up to 342 cures of the next 20 years. The biotech Firm Research firm vital transformation predicts up to 139 will not be developed over the next decade because the ira end of the 49 treatments currently on theoe market would not have existed the ira been in effect. Even the Congressional Budget Office the cbo, our economist here in congress, even they said its going to eliminate treatments ande cures that would wouldve otherwise been developed. We have already had drugs that have been polled by pharmaceutical manufacturers as a result of this. And yes i know there is a pending lawsuit as well from some the pharmaceutical manufacturers. I am sure you are aware of that i know you are. Eti just kept asking mr. Secretary, what makes you right in the other agencies wrong . I dont get it. Congressman, thank you for the question pretty hope you will agree that no it in america should be paying for two or three times the drug. I understand that im the one at the counter having to tell the Senior Citizen but the price of a medication was and watch them try to make a decision between buying groceries and buying their medicine i am the one who watch the mother in tears as she tried to get the antibiotic for her child, trying to figure how shes going to pay for. I am doing everything i canan humanly to bring down Prescription Drug prices but i do not and i will not stand by while this administration, while this agency stops research and development that i have witnessed over the past 40 years and practicing pharmacy that has resulted in miracles. Congressman my response would be increased competition helps stimulate more production, more innovation. The more we can lower prices the more were going to have that competition. We are ever going to get the prices down of thosewn drugs tht cost us two or three times for the cost of the parts of the world, it will be because we are able to negotiate good prices and encourage. This you know as well as i do this is a swing and a miss. Far pharmaceutical manufacturers need to do better you know its the middle man and a wide perquisite of the Insurance Companies are doing this. He a people today are paying 35 for the insulin instead of 200, that is not a miss. That is a win. Quickset is a win for the copayments but its not going to bringer down the price of the insulin. We just saw three other companies have agreed to do the same o thing. With the copay. Mr. Secretary again the cbo the university of chicago, all of these have said this is going to result in fewer cures. What makes them wrong . Why are they wrong and you are right . Asked congressman we know that if you stimulate competition and innovation youll have better drugs for. Do they know that . I am sure they know that as well. But they are saying and i am baffled by the fact you are saying that you are right and everybody else is wrong. You know, i was always taught when it seems like everybody else is wrong you are the oil when that is right, youve gotta stop for a minute think it might not be everybody else. Congressman im not saying i am right in implementing the law congress passed. I did not say that. No,no no. You continue to go this route and this administration again, i have to tell you i did not come upiv there from egotistical trii came up here because i was alone on the other side the counter. I was so any way to tell the Senior Citizens but i was someone who had toof tell the patient on pointers and think about that. Im not going to let this administration not going to let this agencyge stop research and development of a miracle drugs that i am a witness to my career. Thank you, mr. Chairman i yield back. Agenda might use back record is our last witness mr. Joyce of pennsylvania,. Think it mr. Secretary we are close but. Mr. Secretary thank you for agreeing to appear before us today. Rm thank you chairman griffith for allowing me too waive on. Secretary becerra in march of 2020 the foundation for Government Accountability submitted multiple foia request to cms, seeking information on the enforcement of hospital transparency rolls. After cms prolonged delay and complying, court subsequent order cms to produce all of the required documents by april 2023. Other cms has provided nearly 2000 pages of documents, i would like to raise two concerns. First, based on fta initial review of the documents, it appears cms is not adequately enforcing hospital Price Transparency role. Secondly, cms is withholding over 38000 pages of responsive documents claiming trade secret extensions, first, mr. Secretary can you tell cindy what percentage of hospitals are in compliance with the Price Transparency role . Congress and thank you for the question it is an important subject but i apologize i came prepared to u talk about the unaccompanied children program. I think you ought a person of the followup. Do you feel cms is taken the appropriate and necessary actions to enforce this rule to date . Congressman its been working very hard to implement any number of regulations and statutes that are now placed as agr result of congress a passage of these new laws. I can try to get back to pick whats thank you think that information is important would you agree that by withholding the documents that i mentioned above that cms is giving the impression that cms is afraid of what the public might uncover it through this foia effort . Cms is been working very hard to implement the different laws are now in place that congress has passed and try to gett back to you for. Thank you. Revealing that information will be definitely so important overjoyed with the issues such as transparency. Further, on that topic of transparency, recent research by the the head and Neck Surgery Foundation has brought attention to significant price disparities between the average sales price in the prices charged by hospital for certain Cancer Therapy some hospitals are charging markups as high as three 100 above the asp for these therapies. We believe it is imperative to address these issues to ensure fair pricing, transparency, accessibility of medications for all patients. How do you plan to address this practice and ensure patients are not burdened with exorbitante costs for lifesaving treatments . Congressman we continue to move forward with the implementation of the very important Price Transparency law as well as no surprises ask that you all past that make sure consumers, patients are not burdened with unexpected bills, they have at chance to understad what their bill might be if they go into a hospital. I can try to follow up with you with any of those questions i apologize i became more prepared for. I thank you you are addressing transparency with us in drug pricing is recently mentioned with questioning is essential for patients. They need to have that transparency to make informed decisions but specifically regarding their medicaleg care. What steps will you take to promote Greater Transparency in hospital pricing for Cancer Therapies to prevent excessive markups and ensure affordability for patients . Congressman we continue to try to make sure we aremp implementing not just the letter ofre the law and transparency bt the spirit which means every american should be able to understand what the charge of a for the services they are about to get part know what was to be blindsided. We continue to implement odyssey as you stated there are a lot of folks a lot of stakeholders do not like the law you all past because thatey means they have o be more open and transparent were going to continue to do the work with a four to work with you on that. And to that endpoint i appreciate offering to bring forth that percentage of hospitals that are in compliance with the transparency role, i think is this Committee Works towards transparency, works towards access of the greatest therapies in america for these patients were undergoing significant hardships, as they face Cancer Therapy and Cancer Treatment thank you against secretary becerra for being here today mr. Chairman once again i thank you for allowing me too waive on and i yield the remainder of my time. Think agenda for yielding vaccine there are no for the members wishing to ask questions ito like to thank our witnesses again for being here tonight secretary becerra they go to some thehe questions were not directly on point of what we want to talk about but most of them were. You agree to get back with some of those questions for you are not expected to be prepared today appreciate that. Pursuant to quiros or my members have 10 Business Days to submit additional questions for the record i asked the witness to respond within 10 Business Days upon receipt of those questions. And i also ask unanimous consent to insert in the record the documents include on the staff hearing documents list. Without injection theyll be the order. The subcommittees adjourned. [background noises] [background noises] [background noises] all. [background noises] all [background noises] all all you ever miss any of cspans coverage you can find any time at cspan. Org. 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