Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 153) to provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 153.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 153, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, will increase transparency for post-disaster Federal assistance. H.R. 153 will do this by requiring agencies that provide Federal disaster assistance to update a central website quarterly with information on their disaster assistance programs. That way, the American taxpayer can see exactly where their hard-earned dollars are going.

H.R. 153 passed the House in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses, and I urge continued support for this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) for his leadership on this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), who is the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I hope we can continue to show support for this commonsense accountability measure. It is going to help improve transparency for Federal disaster spending.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on my bill, H.R. 153, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, which aims to improve transparency in the Federal disaster assistance process.

When disaster strikes, the priority is to save lives and to help communities recover. However, in doing so, one of the biggest challenges in the aftermath of a disaster is ensuring that aid is distributed fairly and timely to those who need it most.

Transparency builds trust in government. Without clear information, communities may feel left in the dark about how aid is being allocated. This is where the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act comes in.

This bill requires FEMA to publicly share key information about the damage caused by disasters and how assistance is being distributed. It ensures the public can track recovery efforts in real time and understand how resources are being allocated. This helps communities, local governments, and organizations involved in recovery make more informed decisions.

The bill also mandates that FEMA provide detailed, easy-to-access data, such as the extent of the damage, the areas affected, and the estimated cost of recovery.

Ultimately, this bill holds FEMA and the government accountable to the American people. By strengthening trust, H.R. 153 is a vital step toward building a more transparent, responsive disaster recovery system.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 153. This bill would create a new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and assistance.

People should know how and where their disaster funds are being spent without wading through reams of government paperwork. The legislation simplifies the data collection process for Federal disaster recovery projects. To increase transparency, this bill would also create a page on USAspending.gov where anyone can track agency disaster recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended by the agency on a quarterly basis.

Federal agencies need to be accountable to the victims of disasters and to the taxpayers who funded these agencies' really important work. We also need to allow Federal disaster victims peace of mind when they are at their most vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me and support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the House passed this bipartisan bill on suspension in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses. I look forward to the Senate taking up this bill, given how important it is with the massive natural disasters that we are seeing. I certainly hope that we in Congress fund the IT infrastructure so that we can get this done and get this done quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, due to a death in the family, I needed to attend to the funeral proceedings and was unable to vote on the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 10, passage of H.R. 153, NAY on Roll Call No. 11, MTR for H.R. 28, YEA on Roll Call No. 12, passage of H.R. 28.

Mr. Speaker, due to the devastating wildfire affecting my district and Southern California, I was not present for today's vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 10, H.R. 153, YEA on Roll Call No. 11, Motion to Commit H.R. 28, and NAY on Roll Call No. 12, H.R. 28.