|
Remarks, as prepared for delivery:
"I have been looking forward to these next two days of hearings because it is one of our most important and impactful roles as a committee. These hearings represent our commitment to oversight and transparency on behalf of the entire House.
"As Members of a Congress elected by the people, for the people, it is our duty to be accountable TO the people. We are tasked with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars to ensure Congress, and each committee is working effectively for the American people.
"Committees are where so much critical work is accomplished. Each committee has a unique role to play in ensuring Congress is serving all Americans -- from factory workers to farmers, to students, to veterans, to law enforcement, to election administrators, and our military. Committees also ensure we are exercising robust checks and balances of the other branches of government, like preventing the weaponization of federal agencies.
"Our job over the next two days is to hear from both the chair and ranking members of each committee on what resources they need to accomplish their respective goals. In keeping with our commitment to transparency, our process to fund committees will be conducted by restoring regular order, which this committee has not done since 2017. Today and tomorrow, each committee’s chair and ranking member will present their respective biennial funding requests. Our committee's role is to authorize and not appropriate.
"It is critically important to me that our review and approval process is completed with full candor. At the close of our hearing tomorrow, we will have provided American taxpayers with more transparency on how Congress is spending their hard-earned money.
"We will continue our goal of being an open, accessible, and transparent committee, and we look forward to giving every other committee the platform to do the same through this process. Congress will be accountable to the American people."
###
|
