The Paper Trail: July 26, 2024

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The Paper Trail

Announcements

“How to Conduct Oversight of the Secret Service: A Conversation with the first Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security,” POGO’s virtual training on how to conduct oversight of the Secret Service, will be held on August 2 at 12 noon ET. This event is only open to staff in Congress, GAO, and CRS. Register at this link.

Top stories for July 26, 2024

Congress leaders agree to form task force on Trump assassination attempt: House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries struck a deal to form a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The panel, which will have subpoena authority, will consist of seven Republicans and six Democrats. (Luke Broadwater, New York Times)

🔎 See Also: Senators request sweeping records for Trump assassination attempt investigation (Jordain Carney, Politico)

5th Circuit court upends FCC Universal Service Fund, ruling it an illegal tax: The court ruled that the FCC’s Universal Service Fund is unconstitutional, striking down the $8 billion-a-year program that is used to expand telecom networks and make access more affordable. (Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica)

Delta under investigation for its handling of flight delays after IT outage: The Transportation Department launched an investigation into Delta Air Lines’ treatment of customers, including unaccompanied minors, after last week’s global computer outage caused a mass wave of flight cancellations. (Lori Aratani and Ian Duncan, Washington Post)

🔎 See Also: CrowdStrike explains what went wrong days after global tech outage (Gareth Vipers and James Rundle, Wall Street Journal)

Biden signs bill strengthening oversight of crisis-plagued Bureau of Prisons: Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters lauded the bill but said the agency will need tens of millions of dollars in additional funding “to effectively respond to the additional oversight and make that meaningful, long-lasting change.” (Michael R. Sisak and Michael Balsamo, Associated Press)

State election directors fear the Postal Service can’t handle expected crush of mail-in ballots: Election directors from across the country expressed concern to a top U.S. Postal Service official that the system won’t be able to deliver many mail-in ballots in time to be counted in November. (Steve Karnowski, Associated Press)

Analysis: The balance of powers demands a strong Congressional Research Service: CRS employs hundreds of experts to provide Congress with research and analysis. But CRS’s usefulness has suffered over the last three decades due to mismanagement, outdated technology, and political attacks that have driven out experienced analysts and intimidated leadership. (Daniel Schuman, Washington Monthly)

Insurrection

Trump allies crush misinformation research despite Supreme Court loss: The Supreme Court ruling green-lighting contact between the government and tech companies to stymie election falsehoods hasn’t deterred a campaign against academics, nonprofits, and industry initiatives aimed at addressing their spread. (Cat Zakrzewski and Naomi Nix, Washington Post)

🔎 See Also: FBI should clean up its interactions with online platforms, DOJ watchdog says (Will Oremus, Washington Post)

Political Misbehavior

Then-AG Barr’s role in discarded ballots probe was troubling, Justice IG says: The Trump administration’s Justice Department broke with long-standing norms during the 2020 election cycle by publicly commenting on an ongoing investigation into military mail-in ballots tossed into a dumpster in Pennsylvania, according to a report by the agency’s inspector general. (Perry Stein, Washington Post)

DOJ review blames Stone sentencing flip on poor leadership, not politics: The Justice Department’s inspector general blamed “ineffectual leadership” by the then-acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., and not White House interference, for the softening of Roger Stone’s sentencing recommendation after his conviction for lying to Congress. (Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

Army finds multiple “failures” in its handling of Maine reservist prior to deadly mass shooting: Robert Card, the Army reservist who was held in a psychiatric hospital less than three months before he committed a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine last year, warranted a follow-up investigation upon his release but it wasn’t conducted — one of a series of failures and multiple errors by his unit, according to an Army review. (Erik Ortiz, NBC News)

B-1 bomber crash report blasts crew mistakes, culture of “complacency”: The crew of a B-1B Lancer that crashed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in January failed to properly manage the bomber’s airspeed and angle of approach while landing, according to an accident investigation report. The investigation also found that a lack of discipline, poor resource management and communication, and “an organizational culture that tolerated decaying airmanship skills” were contributing factors. (Stephen Losey, Air Force Times)

VA’s planned restart of its electronic health record system rollouts draws lawmaker concern: The VA is looking to restart deployments of its beleaguered Oracle Cerner electronic health record system at additional medical facilities next year, but lawmakers say the results of the agency’s most recent rollout doesn’t justify efforts to resume the project. (Edward Graham, Government Executive)

Opinion: Time to retire the phrase “military industrial complex”: President Eisenhower’s immortal phrase is a bit dated and no longer the right moniker to describe what we’re up against. The phrase “military-industrial-congressional-information complex” more accurately describes the network of DOD bureaucracies, defense contractors, members of Congress, and the paid mouthpieces promoting their interests in the media and during lobbying visits. (Dan Grazier, Responsible Statecraft)

Business and Finance

Trench collapses have killed hundreds of workers in the U.S. over the last decade: More than 250 people have died when trenches they were working in collapsed. In every instance, the deaths were preventable. In many cases, the employers failed to follow basic safety rules. (Cheryl W. Thompson et al., NPR)

Southwest Airlines faces federal scrutiny after spate of near accidents: The FAA launched a broad review of Southwest Airlines after a string of recent close calls and other potential safety incidents. The audit, expected to take three months, will focus on pilot training, various types of approaches for landing, and maintenance procedures related to opening and removing engine covers and panels. (Alison Sider and Andrew Tangel, Wall Street Journal)

Unemployment insurance fraud during the pandemic cost states $135B — and counting: While some states have moved to prevent future waste, fraud, and abuse by modernizing their unemployment systems, many state systems still remain vulnerable. (Chris Teale, Route Fifty)

Tech

Nadler urges Republicans to investigate X’s restrictions on Kamala Harris’ campaign account, citing censorship concerns: Rep. Jerry Nadler claims that “numerous users” were blocked from following an official presidential campaign account for Vice President Kamala Harris. (Kat Tenbarge and Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News)

When AI fails the language test, who is left out of the conversation? The use of AI is exploding around the world, but the technology’s language models are primarily trained in English, leaving speakers of other languages behind. Experts worry this language gap could exacerbate global technological inequities. (Sara Ruberg, New York Times)

Health Care

New research finds pesticides may be as bad for you as smoking — so why is Congress poised to shield the industry from liability? A new study adds to a lengthy scientific debate over just how bad pesticides might be for you, a body of research that some scientists say has been hampered by industry, delaying regulation. (Lois Parshley, The Lever)

America is running out of generic drugmakers. Another one is on the brink: The generic drug business has become a hostile environment for American companies. One after another, generic-drug makers have gone bankrupt or moved their operations overseas or cut the number of products they offer. (Liz Essley Whyte, Wall Street Journal)

Older adults want to age in place. Current policies don’t make it easy: Over the last two decades, the proportion of older adults moving to nursing homes has declined as more individuals stay in their own homes as they age. But new survey data suggests current policies and resources supporting the aging population may be falling short. (Kaitlyn Levinson, Route Fifty)

COVID-19

Four years after COVID, many students still losing ground: The test score gaps between today’s students and their pre-pandemic counterparts are growing wider, according to new research. (Laura Meckler and Lauren Lumpkin, Washington Post)

Navy settles lawsuit with sailors who denied COVID-19 vaccine: According to the settlement agreement, the Navy will review the personnel records of the 36 Special Warfare community member plaintiffs to ensure the removal of all punishments related to their refusal to take the COVID vaccine, and it will pay $1.5 million in attorney fees. (Heather Mongilio, USNI News)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ Recent wave of illegal immigration could net the federal government nearly $1 trillion, study says

→ Chicago braces for potential surge of thousands of migrants

→ Trump White House was warned sanctions on Venezuela could fuel migration

Other News:

→ Biden administration declines to defend affirmative action programs

→ House panels review “startling” allegations at Bureau of Indian Education university

→ Appeals court timeline suggests months more of delay for Jack Smith’s documents case against Trump

→ Deputy accused of killing Sonya Massey was discharged from Army for serious misconduct

→ A judge ruled a Louisiana prison’s health care system has failed inmates for decades. A federal law could block reforms

→ Efforts to release prisoners from long sentences draw new interest

Because It’s Friday

The life of two Boeing Starliner astronauts stuck indefinitely in space: Getting stuck on the International Space Station for an extended stay could be the ultimate dream vacation. But not for Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, NASA astronauts who had their stay on the space station extended indefinitely due to a malfunctioning spacecraft. (Christian Davenport, Washington Post)

Upcoming Events

📌 Examination of the Security Failures Leading to the Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump. Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees. Tuesday, July 30, 10:00 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Hot Docs

🔥📃 DOJ OIG: An Investigation of Allegations Concerning the Department of Justice’s Handling of the Government’s Sentencing Recommendation in United States v. Roger Stone. 24-081 (PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - Immigration Enforcement: Arrests, Removals, and Detentions Varied Over Time and ICE Should Strengthen Data Reporting. GAO-24-106233 (PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - Federal Facility Security: Preliminary Results Show That Challenges Remain in Guard Performance and Oversight. GAO-24-107599 (PDF)

Nominations & Appointments

Nominations

• Lisa T. Ballance - Chair and Member, Marine Mammal Commission
• Val Butler Demings - Governor, United States Postal Service Board of Governors
• Gabriel Escobar - Ambassador, Paraguay
• David Samuel Johnson - Inspector General for Tax Administration
• Patrice H. Kunesh - Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission
• Matthew James Marzano - Member, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• William Zollars - Governor, United States Postal Service Board of Governors