Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I missed some votes on Wednesday, December 19, all votes on Thursday, December 20, and some votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call Vote Number 440 (Passage of H.R. 7327, the SECURE Technology Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 441 (Passage of H.R. 7279, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 442 (Passage of H.R. 6227, the National Quantum Initiative Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 443 (Passage of H.R. 6652): YES;

Roll Call Vote 444 (Passage of S. 1520, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 445 (Passage of S. 3530, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 446 (Agreeing to H. Res. 1180): NO;

Roll Call Vote Number 447 (Agreeing to H. Res. 1181): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 448 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to the House Amendment to S. 756, the First Step Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 449 (Passage of H.R. 7328, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 450 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5075, the Ashanti Alert Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 451 (Passage of H.R. 7093, the Clean Up the Code Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 452 (Passage of S. 2896, the Justice Against Corruption on K Street Act of 2018 or JACK Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 453 (Passage of S. 2961, the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 454 (Passage of S. 2679, the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 455 (Passage of H.R. 7227, the Taxpayer First Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 456 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 457 (Passage of S. 2652, the Stephen Michael Gleason Congressional Gold Medal Act): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 458 (Passage of S. 2765, the RBIC Advisers Relief Act of 2018): YES;

Roll Call Vote Number 459 (Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act):

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am rising in support of the Federal Personal Property Management Act, which would improve the accountability of unneeded equipment, furniture, and information technology resources at Federal agencies.

It may be an appropriate time for us to take up this bill, given all the furniture strewn throughout the floors of the House of Representatives.

The GAO recently found that most agencies do not have procedures in place to identify unneeded personal property on a regular basis. The GSA has issued regulations establishing a governmentwide excess property disposal process, but it lacks the authority to tell agencies how or when to identify excess property. As a result, agencies retain unneeded property that could be used elsewhere in the Federal Government, at State or local governments, or in the private sector.

The report also found there is a wide variation in how Federal agencies classify according to value, which makes it difficult to measure the total value of the government's personal property holdings.

The Federal Personal Property Management Act would direct Federal agencies to assess and inventory more valuable property assets once a year and assets of lower value on a regular basis, according to guidance issued by GSA.

Requiring agencies to regularly inventory their excess property should spur agencies to declare excess property more often, allowing for its disposal.

The bill also would give the GSA authority to establish a uniform standard for how agencies assess their most valuable property, allowing for a better understanding and use of its value.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, due to unavoidable circumstances, I was physically absent from the House of Representatives on December 21, 2018. On that day, I missed 9 recorded votes. I submit for the Record how I would have voted had I been present for those votes.

On Roll Call No. 474 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 1063, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 475 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 7318, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 476 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 7319, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 477 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 7329, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 478 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S. 3367, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 479 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 7293, had I been present, would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 480 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S. 2276, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye''

On Roll Call No. 481 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S. 3031, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

On Roll Call No. 482 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, S. 3191, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3031) to amend chapter 5 of title 40, United States Code, to improve the management of Federal personal property.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018 would improve inventories and accounting of Federal Government property bought with taxpayer dollars. This bill has bipartisan support. I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 475, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 476, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 477, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 478, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 479, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 480, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 481, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 482.

Personal Explanation