Document 70LR2maRDyav507EZazJNym6

RAND PAUL, KENTUCKY, CHAIRMAN RON JOHNSON, WISCONSIN JAMES LANKFORD, OKLAHOMA RICK SCOTT, FLORIDA JOSH HAWLEY, MISSOURI BERNIE MORENO, OHIO JONI ERNST, IOWA ASHLEY MOODY, FLORIDA GARY C. PETERS, MICHIGAN MARGARET WOOD HASSAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, CONNECTICUT JOHN FETTERMAN, PENNSYLVANIA ANDY KIM, NEW JERSEY RUBEN GALLEGO, ARIZONA ELISSA SLOTKIN, MICHIGAN mud states senate COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS WASHINGTON, DC 20510-6250 March 6, 2025 The Honorable JD Vance Vice President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Secretary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20201 The Honorable Brooke Rollins Secretary Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave, SW Washington, D.C. 20250 The Honorable Kristi Noem Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 245 Murray Lane, SW Washington, D.C. 20528 The Honorable Howard Lutnick Secretary Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20230 The Honorable Scott Turner Secretary Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20410 Dr. Ron Jarmin Acting Director U.S. Census Bureau 4600 Silver Hill Road Washington, D.C. 20233 The Honorable Doug Burgum Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240 The Honorable Pete Hegseth Secretary U.S. Department of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301 The Honorable Pamela Bondi Attorney General Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20530 The Honorable Linda McMahon Secretary Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave, SW Washington, D.C. 20202 Vince Micone Acting Secretary Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20210 The Honorable Chris Wright Secretary Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave, SW Washington, D.C. 20024 The Honorable Russell Vought Director Office of Management and Budget 725 17th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20503 1 OST-2025-1200 Page 01941 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027822 The Honorable Marco Rubio Secretary Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20520 The Honorable Sean Duffy Secretary Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, D.C. 20590 The Honorable Scott Bessent Secretary Department of Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20220 The Honorable Doug Collins Secretary Department of Veterans Affairs 800 Vermont Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20420 The Honorable Lee Zeldin Administrator Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Scott Bessent Acting Director Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1700 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20552 Stephen Ehikian Acting Administrator General Services Administration 1800 F Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20405 Marco Rubio Acting Archivist National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740 Charles Ezell Acting Director Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20415 Marco Rubio Acting Administrator U.S. Agency for International Development 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 With broad reporting of federal agencies deleting information and data from government websites and concerns regarding the preservation of datasets and databases, this letter serves as notice to you to ensure compliance with all federal laws governing retention, availability, and preservation of federal records. You are responsible for ensuring that your departments, agencies, and sub-agencies do not engage in deleting any information and data in violation of federal law.1 ' See, e.g., Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C. 3101, 3106; Presidential Records Act, 44 U.S.C. 2201 -- 2203; Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3506; 18 U.S.C. 2071 (concealing, removing, or destroying records is a criminal offense). See, e.g., Trump Administration's Data Deletions Set off `A Mad Scramble,' Researcher Says, AP News (Feb. 3, 2025); Thousands of U.S. Government Web Pages Have Been Taken Down Since Friday, New 2 OST-2025-1200 Page 01942 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027823 As the chief oversight Committee of the U.S. Senate and with respect to the Committee's broad jurisdiction over all government operations, I am directing you to retain and preserve all documents, records, and communications in your possession, custody, or control as of January 20, 2025, in accordance with the law. All officials and employees, including contractor employees and departments and agencies relying on outside experts or companies, should be advised of their obligations under applicable law. This includes retaining federal data sets, which are subject to specific protections and must remain publicly available, credible, and accurate. Additionally, please be aware that any communications on personal messaging accounts, including Signal, social media accounts, and personal email accounts, that concern government business are subject to the Federal Records Act and must be preserved.2 The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized by Rule XXV (k)(2)(B) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to investigate matters that aid the Committee in "studying the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the Government."3 Under Senate Resolution 94, Sec. 12(e)(2) of the 119th Congress, the Committee is authorized to review "the possible existence of fraud, misfeasance, malfeasance, collusion, mismanagement, incompetence, corruption or unethical practices, waste, extravagance, conflicts of interest, and the improper expenditure of Government funds."4 Thank you for your prompt attention and cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Sen. Peters' staff at (202) 224-2627. Sincerely, Gary Cters --- Ranking Member Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee York Times (Feb. 2, 2025); Health Resources Vanish Following D.E.I. and Gender Orders, New York Times (Jan. 31, 2025); A Look at Federal Health Data Taken Offline, KFF (Feb. 2, 2025); Justice Department deletes database trackingfederalpolice misconduct, Washington Post (Feb. 21, 2021); Doctorsfor America, v. Office ofPersonnel Management at al., 25-cv-322-JDB (D.D.C. Feb. 11, 2025) (ordering HHS, CDC, and FDA to restore certain webpages and datasets); National Treasury Employees Union et al., v. Russell Vought, et al., 25-cv-381-ABJ (D.D.C. Feb. 14, 2025) (Second Declaration of Erie Meyer; Court Order directing CFPB not to "delete, destroy, remove, or impair any data or other CFPB records covered by the Federal Records Act"). 2 See, e.g., 44 U.S.C. 2911; 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3563. 3 S. Rule XXV(k)(2)(B). 4 S. Res. 94, Sec. 12(e)(2). 3 OST-2025-1200 Page 01943 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027824