Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 848, the Consider Teachers Act of 2021. I introduced the companion bill with Congresswoman Victoria Spartz. I would like to thank Senators Mike Braun and Kyrsten Sinema also for their leadership on this bill, and my good friend, Chairman Bobby Scott, for bringing this bill to the floor today.

This bill would improve the service obligation verification process for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program, or TEACH grant program, as it is called. The TEACH grant program was created to attract the best and brightest to the teaching profession in underserved communities. The TEACH grant program provides up to $4,000 a year in grants to students who agree to serve for at least 4 years as full-time teachers in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income families. The obligation to teach 4 years must be completed within an 8-year period. Those who do not fulfill their service requirement have their grants converted into Federal direct unsubsidized Stafford loans which must be paid back with interest. These loans cannot revert to grants.

According to the Office of Management and Budget, 66 percent of the grants are converted into loans. Though 21,000 grant recipients have completed the program without conversion, 94,000 recipients have had their grants converted to loans. Those conversions are often triggered by small paperwork issues, such as submitting the annual form 1 day late or missing a date or signature.

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education released a reconsideration process for recipients who had their grants converted into loans but had either fulfilled, or could still fulfill, their service obligations. The department also turned back the clock to allow teachers who had left the TEACH grant program once their grants were converted to loans to give them more time to complete their service obligations. These changes allowed the department to lift the debt of 2,300 recipients.

I am pleased that the department made additional improvements to the program on July 1, 2021, including opening the reconsideration process to all TEACH grant program recipients. This bill would codify some of these changes, creating a safeguard from changes in department leadership.

This bill would also outline yearly deadlines and notification requirements to rectify some of the TEACH grant program's previous administrative mishaps. Furthermore, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, many recipients have had trouble finding qualifying work. This bill would create a grace period for those individuals by extending the service obligation fulfillment period by 3 years for anyone who was fulfilling their obligations when the coronavirus pandemic began.

This past year has given us all a hard lesson in the invaluable service that teachers and educators provide to our society. As many young students have turned to homeschooling and remote learning, we have all come to appreciate the hard work and incredible talent of our teachers who foster the mental, physical, and emotional growth of our children every day. This bill ensures that that pipeline of talent for the teaching profession remains strong and that we do not unduly burden TEACH grant program recipients who have dedicated themselves to serving our most vulnerable communities.

I understand what that means because my own mother, Vela Holmes, was a teacher in the D.C. Public Schools.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2485) to require the Director of the Government Publishing Office to establish and maintain an online portal accessible to the public that allows the public to obtain electronic copies of all congressionally mandated reports in one place, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure before us.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Mike Quigley for his persistence in pursuing this good government legislation. Hopefully, we can get this bill enacted this Congress.

H.R. 2485, the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, is a non-controversial bill that has been approved by the Oversight and Reform Committee many times.

The bill is a commonsense measure that would make the government more transparent and accountable. It would create a one-stop-shop where Congress and members of the public could access agency reports to Congress.

Federal agencies submit thousands of reports to Congress each year. This bill will improve congressional oversight by making it easy to find and access those reports.

H.R. 2485 would give the public access to agency reports. Currently, members of the public often have to file requests under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain agency reports to Congress because many of these reports are not available online.

An online library of Federal reports would improve our ability to use the information in them to make sound policy. It also would encourage agency compliance with reporting requirements.

Finally, it would support timely access to the reports by State and local governments, students, academics, and others with the additional benefit of decreasing the burden on agencies to process Freedom of Information Act requests.

The Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act is endorsed by almost 40 organizations from across the political spectrum.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge all my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2485, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 272) to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, to require the budget justifications and appropriation requests of agencies be made publicly available.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure before us.

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

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us, the Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act, is a commonsense, good government measure every Member should support.

It would require the congressional budget justification documents that agencies prepare for congressional committees to be posted online in a centralized, searchable database.

This would make these detailed, plain-language explanations of how agencies plan to spend taxpayer dollars more accessible to the public.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Mike Quigley for his work on the House companion to this measure. He has a long history as a strong advocate of transparency in the operations of the Federal Government.

This bill builds on the work of the Committee to improve government transparency by allowing the public to more easily learn about how Federal agencies spend their taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no further speakers, I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 272, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3533) to establish occupational series for Federal positions in software development, software engineering, data science, and data management, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H.R. 3533.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3533, the Federal Career Opportunities in Computer Science Work Act. I commend my colleagues, Representative Obernolte and Representative Welch, for their bipartisan work on this measure.

This bill would require the Office of Personnel Management to update or establish occupational series for Federal civilian positions in software development, software engineering, data science, and data management within 270 days of enactment.

It would implement a recommendation that was included in the final report of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. In its report, the commission stated: ``The artificial intelligence competition will not be won by the side with the best technology. It will be won by the side with the best, most diverse and tech-savvy talent.''

To attract and retain digital talent, the commission recommended that the Federal Government create the civilian occupational series that are included in this bill. This bipartisan bill would help support recruitment of professionals with these specialized skills for Federal employment.

This is an important step in helping Federal agencies recruit, hire, and retain the talent that is needed to remain competitive in the digital domain.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill, I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3533, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3599) to establish a Federal rotational cyber workforce program for the Federal cyber workforce, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 3599.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 3599, the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act. This bill is the product of bipartisan cooperation of our Oversight and Reform Committee members, Representatives Ro Khanna and Nancy Mace, and I want to thank them for their work on this bill.

Earlier this year, our committee held a hearing on the Government Accountability Office's 2021 High-Risk Report, which details the areas of government operations at greatest risk of failing to meet the considerable challenges they face.

Cybersecurity was near the top of the list, along with the cyber skills gap that persists across the Federal workforce. As the Government Accountability Office report described, Federal agencies are struggling to ensure that staff have the skills required to address the critical cybersecurity risks and challenges that our government faces.

Recent cyberattacks have demonstrated the dire consequences of failing to improve the Federal Government's cybersecurity operations. These include the SolarWinds breach, in which Russian hackers infiltrated the networks of nine Federal agencies and went undetected for months.

Around the same time, cyberattacks linked to the Chinese government targeted Microsoft's enterprise email software and threatened the internal data of Federal agencies. In addition, Russian hackers successfully breached the servers of the U.S. Department of State and stole thousands of emails.

The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act, as it is called, would enable cybersecurity professionals in the Federal Government to rotate through assignments outside of their regular position. This would allow more agencies to benefit from their enterprise and give program participants the opportunities for professional development. The program would be authorized for 5 years and, after 3 years, the Government Accountability Office would assess the operation and effectiveness of the program.

This legislation would go a long way toward improving Federal agencies' capacity to strengthen cybersecurity operations, help retain top talent, and facilitate the exchange of expertise in this critical field.

The security of Federal information technology systems and data is essential to national security, to preserving public trust in government institutions, and to ensuring that agencies meet their missions in serving the American people.

I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna).

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3599, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1204) to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit the District of Columbia to establish the rate of pay of the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.

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 measure before us.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill will give the District of Columbia the authority to increase the pay of the D.C. chief financial officer. D.C. requested that I introduce this bill so that it can retain and recruit the best CFOs. At the outset, I want to emphasize that the CFO is paid exclusively with local D.C. funds, not Federal funds.

Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress established a maximum rate of pay for the CFO, and the D.C. council has no authority to increase that rate. Congress does not cap, or otherwise establish, the pay of any other D.C. employee. Under this bill, the CFO would be paid at the greater of a rate equal to the maximum rate of pay of the CFO in current law or at a rate established in law by the District of Columbia.

The CFO was established by Congress in 1995. Congress vested the CFO with extraordinary powers and designed the CFO to be independent of the D.C. Mayor and council. The CFO may be removed only for cause by the Mayor, subject to the approval of two-thirds of the council and a 30- day congressional review and comment period. This bill would maintain the independence of the CFO by establishing a permanent floor on the CFO's pay and by prohibiting the council from reducing the CFO's pay during the CFO's term.

The D.C. CFO is unique in the United States. D.C. cannot obligate or expend funds without the CFO's certification that available funds exist. The CFO manages a $17 billion budget that consists of State, county, and city functions, and the CFO has more than 1,700 employees.

D.C. is currently searching for a permanent CFO. Although the CFO is the most important non-elected official in the district, more than 20 D.C. employees are paid more than the CFO. D.C. must compete with both the private and public sectors for high-quality CFOs, and there are many private- and public-sector CFOs who are paid more than the D.C.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1204, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 978) to require the head of each agency to establish a safety plan relating to COVID-19 for any worksite at which employees or contractors are required to be physically present during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 measure before us.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 978 would require Federal agencies to establish protocols and protections to ensure the health and safety of Federal employees upon returning to their regular workstations.

Each agency would be responsible for posting its policy on its website and properly notifying employees of the procedures within 60 days of enactment or 30 days before a closed worksite reopens.

Within 6 months, the inspector general of each agency must submit to Congress a review on implementation and communication of the procedures.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, which is named in honor of one of Representative Connolly's constituents, a Federal employee, who died tragically of coronavirus in May of last year.

Federal employees both here in Washington, D.C., and across the country have been on the front lines of the government response to the coronavirus pandemic from the beginning.

As more are preparing to return to their regular worksites, this legislation will help make sure that policies are clearly conveyed to employees so that return happens safely.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill, and I urge Members to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), my good friend and colleague.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2617) to amend section 1115 of title 31, United States Code, to amend the description of how performance goals are achieved, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 on H.R. 2617.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Performance Enhancement Reform Act, introduced by Government Operations subcommittee chair Gerry Connolly and Ranking Member Jody Hice, builds on the Government Performance and Reform Act of 1993. That law requires Federal agencies to develop 5-year strategic plans and annual performance plans and reports.

The law was updated in 2010 to require greater involvement by the Office of Management and Budget to incorporate governmentwide priority goals and to improve accountability by requiring agencies to publish these plans and reports online.

The Performance Enhancement Reform Act would require the development of a more comprehensive annual performance plan through collaboration between senior agency leaders, including chief human capital officers, chief performance officers, chief information officers, and the chief financial officer.

The bill would also require agency performance plans to include descriptions of any skill set the agency needs to meet its performance goals. This would be an important reform to identify any gaps in expertise or resources an agency must address to accomplish its goals.

This commonsense, bipartisan measure will enhance agency management and strengthen the focus on achieving the agencies' missions.

I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 2617, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2617, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2382) to authorize the National Cyber Director to accept details from other elements of the Federal Government on nonreimbursable basis, 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 materials on S. 2382.

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

I rise in support of S. 2382, which would allow the National Cyber Director to accept details from other elements of the Federal Government as on a nonreimbursable basis.

Last year the Committee on Oversight and Reform helped advance legislation to establish the Office of the National Cyber Director in the Executive Office of the President. The bipartisan effort fulfilled a key recommendation of the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which was established by the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to review the condition of our Nation's cybersecurity posture and to develop solutions to defend against cyber threats.

The National Cyber Director Act was signed into law through last year's National Defense Authorization Act, creating a centralized cybersecurity position in the White House to assist in the development and streamlining of the Federal Government's strategy, coordination, and response to cyber threats.

We were thrilled to see President Biden nominate and the Senate confirm Chris Inglis, a widely-respected member of the Solarium Commission, as the Nation's first National Cyber Director. Now, Mr. Inglis needs a team to get to work immediately to address cybersecurity, which remains one of the most urgent threats on the Government Accountability Office's high-risk list.

Indeed, the State and non-state actors from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and all corners of the globe are waging a silent war capable of shutting down our critical infrastructure, breaching our sensitive information system, and jeopardizing critical sectors in America and globally.

Until Congress acts to provide the Office of the National Cyber Director its first appropriation, the Office requires the ability to bring in details on a nonreimbursable basis. This bill would grant that authority.

Cyberattacks are critical, widespread, complex, and escalating as a threat to our national and economic security. A challenge as grave and pervasive as cybersecurity requires that our government be strategic, organized, and ready. It is imperative that we pass this bill immediately to allow the Office of the National Cyber Director to get up running as it awaits its full appropriation.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the Nation's community supervision professionals and the many vital roles they play in their work with justice-involved adults and juveniles. They identify opportunities and services to help individuals successfully contribute to society, while, at the same time, holding them accountable for their actions. They remain always mindful of their role in ensuring public safety.

In honor of Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week 2021, we salute all of those who have chosen this important career. In the District of Columbia, we especially thank the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia and the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia for their service. These agencies are models of excellence in community supervision. Their work reflects the theme of Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week, ``Restoring Trust, Creating Hope.''

As was the case last year, community supervision officers have demonstrated great courage and resolve in continuing their work during the coronavirus pandemic. They have found innovative ways to remain connected with the individuals they supervise and to continue guiding them in the interest of safety.

Community supervision agencies are valuable partners of government agencies, nonprofits, neighborhood-based groups and all who strive to make our nation safer and stronger. We extend our gratitude to them and ask the House of Representatives to honor them and recognize their many achievements as we proclaim July 18-24, 2021, as Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week in Washington, D.C.

Madam Speaker, today, I introduce a bill to correct a retirement issue for several categories of workers who used to be under the District of Columbia retirement system.

In 1997, Congress transferred several categories of workers who participated in D.C.'s defined contribution plan from 1987 to 1997 to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). However, these workers' service from 1987 to 1997 was not counted for purposes of creditable service or annuity amount in FERS. In 2009, Congress gave these employees the right to have this service counted for creditable service.

My bill would correct this last retirement issue for these public servants. It would allow these workers to buy into the FERS annuity amount for 1987 to 1997 by paying 1.3 percent of their base pay plus interest, essentially the employee contribution for this time, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they are entitled.

Our bill is an important step to assist these workers in getting the retirement benefits they deserve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I come to report significant progress on D.C. statehood and to thank my colleagues for passing my bill to make the District the 51st State. I especially thank Senator Gary Peters for holding a Senate hearing on the bill in June, only the second hearing in Senate history.

I particularly appreciate the work of Senator Tom Carper, the lead Senate sponsor, for a record 45 Senate cosponsors.

These efforts in the House and Senate have resulted in 54 percent of the American people now supporting D.C. statehood.

D.C. is more than ready--indeed is overqualified--for statehood. Residents pay more Federal taxes per capita than any State, more taxes than 21 States, and has a larger gross domestic product than 17 States.

The District of Columbia is well on its way to becoming our 51st State.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Congressman Peter Welch. This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide to inmates from jurisdictions that allow inmates to vote, like the District of Columbia, Vermont and Maine, information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. It would require BOP to provide each BOP prison information on the criteria for voter registration, instructions on voter registration, voter registration forms and prepaid envelopes for voter registration forms, if provided by the state generally. Each prison would be required to post the information in the facility and give it to each inmate eligible to vote.

These are essentially the practices BOP used in the most recent presidential election, so this bill would codify an already successful practice of assisting with voter enfranchisement.

I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, today, I introduce a bill to require the Directors of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) and the District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) to reside in the District of Columbia during their tenure.

CSOSA is an independent Federal agency that supervises offenders only in D.C. PSA is an independent agency within CSOSA that supervises defendants only in D.C. This bill would not apply to those already in office upon enactment.

Congress has justifiably required that certain Federal officials live in the jurisdiction they serve to ensure in-depth knowledge of the unique issues and challenges residents and these Federal officials face, but these Federal officials serving the District are not required to do so. There is no reason that the Directors of CSOSA and PSA, Federal agencies that uniquely serve D.C. residents, should not be required to live in the District, engage with local communities and work closely with local officials. Adding residency requirements for these Federal officials is a matter of fairness for the residents they serve.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, today, I introduce a bill that would make a small but respectful change to federal law by adding the Mayor of the District of Columbia to the list of named principals for whom the President shall order the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff. Current law states that the President shall make this order ``upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory.'' Surely the D.C. Mayor should qualify as such a principal. My bill would add the D.C. Mayor, who has the same responsibilities as state and territory governors, to the current list of officials. This bill is a continuation of our ``Free and Equal D.C.'' series to ensure fair recognition of the nearly 700,000 citizens of the District of Columbia. Last Congress, the Judiciary Committee passed the bill.

Congress has already acknowledged that the District of Columbia is entitled to a place among the states for certain honors. The requested addition is not as expansive as others that Congress has already recognized. For example, legislation I have gotten enacted has ensured that the District of Columbia War Memorial honors only District residents who served in World War I, as intended, and that D.C.'s Frederick Douglass statue sits in the Capitol, alongside statues from the 50 states. We also successfully worked with the U.S. Postal Service to create a D.C. stamp, like the stamps for the 50 states, and worked with the National Park Service to add the D.C. flag alongside the state flags near Union Station.

Legislation was also enacted to give D.C. a coin after it was omitted from legislation creating coins for the 50 states. Legislation required the armed services to display the District flag whenever the flags of the states are displayed. With these significant actions by Congress, it is not too much to ask to add the Mayor to the list of principals who are recognized upon their deaths.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.