Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding young Kentuckian from the First Congressional District, Cheyenne Peterson of Pembroke, an 11th grade student whose artwork was selected as a winner in the America 250 Student Art Contest.

Cheyenne's piece, titled 250 Years of Freedom, reflects a deep appreciation for our Nation's history and the blessings of liberty that generations of Americans have worked to preserve.

Through her talent and creativity, she has captured the spirit of patriotism and civic pride that defines the Commonwealth of Kentucky and communities across our Nation.

I am proud to represent Cheyenne and her family in Congress, and I am inspired by her commitment to honoring America's story through art.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Cheyenne Peterson on this remarkable achievement and wishing her continued success in all of her future endeavors.

Importance of Valid Voter ID

Madam Speaker, I rise to implore our colleagues in the Senate to pass the SAVE Act.

We have passed this final bill here in the House several months ago, and it has been sitting in the Senate collecting dust. We in Congress have many ideological differences. The importance of a valid voter ID should not be one of those differences. After all, to enter the brand- new Obama Presidential Library, you are required to present a valid ID.

I am a Member of Congress, and, obviously, this is my workplace. Before I arrived yesterday, I had to show an ID at the TSA line at the Louisville airport, then show an ID to check in at a hotel, then show my ID to get through the barrier gate around the Capitol, and, finally, I had to show my ID to enter the Rayburn House Office Building.

Yet, there are Members of Congress who do not want to support a law to make it a requirement to show an ID to vote. Why?

I will tell you why I think it is. It is because they want to be able to cheat in elections. How? Perhaps by allowing people to vote who are not legal residents of the United States. That is a theory a lot of people have who support the SAVE Act.

Madam Speaker, that is wrong, and it is why many Americans have lost confidence in our electoral process.

My message to the U.S. Senate is to do their job and pass the SAVE Act.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dale ``Frog'' Ford

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my friend, Sheriff Dale ``Frog'' Ford, a devoted public servant, respected law enforcement officer, and cherished member of the Monroe County community.

Sheriff Ford dedicated his life to serving and protecting the people of his hometown. For 48 years, he wore the badge with pride, integrity, and an unwavering sense of duty.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Sheriff Ford served the citizens of Tompkinsville as chief of police for 10 years and later as sheriff of Monroe County for 12 years. In every role he held, Sheriff Ford earned the trust and respect of those he served through his steady leadership, fairness, and deep commitment to the community.

I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife of 21 years, Ronda; his children, Kimberly, Chris, and Sean; his step-children, Shelby and Alex; and his eight grandchildren.

Sheriff Ford's service, courage, and leadership have set an example for future generations of law enforcement officers. With his passing, Monroe County lost a beloved and legendary figure who will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1345, I call up the bill (H.R. 8312) to establish fraud prevention and program integrity functions and data sharing authorities within the Department of Treasury and a permanent governmentwide Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

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

Madam Speaker, the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act dramatically enhances how agencies prevent fraud, especially during any future national emergency. It also ensures the governmentwide data analytic resources established to investigate pandemic-era fraud are permanently preserved.

Experienced fraudsters understand that when the government responds to a crisis, agencies often let their guard down. Serious failures were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the newly established or rapidly expanded financial assistance and benefits programs.

Agencies did not build effective fraud protections into their programs nor implement them until the funds were already lost to fraud.

Although the true extent of the fraud through pandemic relief efforts will never be determined, GAO estimates that hundreds of billions of dollars were potentially lost to fraud.

The Federal Government also lacked a centralized resource for data and advanced analysis that could have quickly identified fraudulent activities.

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, or PRAC, built a data analytics capability on the fly as pandemic relief funds were already being expended by agencies.

American taxpayers have been hurt by the lack of swift investigative action and delays in implementing fraud prevention processes.

H.R. 8312 was drafted based on years of diligent oversight work under the leadership of Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Pete Sessions from Texas, who is the sponsor of this bill.

His legislation ensures there is a permanent, governmentwide, antifraud analytics function to assist agency inspectors general with their fraud work.

It ensures a permanent Inspector General Office for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, utilizing the valuable proven resources built by the PRAC over recent years.

This eliminates the need to start from scratch in the inevitable event of a new national emergency.

The bill also includes provisions to ensure appropriate coordination with the governmentwide program integrity and improper payment tools maintained by the U.S. Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, providing Treasury the authority to develop a governmentwide data analytic support platform for Federal agencies and State-administered, federally funded programs to voluntarily participate in.

This bill is the culmination of years of this committee's work to understand how agencies can improve their operations to protect hard- earned taxpayer money from fraudsters.

I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 8312, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, you will not hear anything more rich in this body today than listening to a Democrat who did absolutely nothing about fraud for the last 4 years talk about why we should oppose a very good measure to prevent and oppose fraud.

Madam Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), the sponsor of this good legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Madam Speaker, it is estimated that if the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee were established prior to the pandemic, as much as $79 billion in fraudulent payments could have been prevented on the front end.

The Nation cannot afford to lose such a valuable resource. That is why I call on each of my colleagues to support H.R. 8312 to ensure that these antifraud capabilities are permanently available to Federal agencies and in preparation for any future national emergency.

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

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1345, I call up the bill (H.R. 8464) to amend title 31, United States Code, to authorize pausing and segmenting payments, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

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

Madam Speaker, we are facing a national emergency of fraud in Federal programs that is impacting every American.

According to the Government Accountability Office, the Federal Government is estimated to lose between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud across all Federal programs and operations.

Earlier this week, we exposed how criminals stole $9 billion in Minnesota's social services programs while senior State officials, including Governor Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, did absolutely nothing to stop it.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether in Minnesota, California's hospice system, or Medicaid waiver programs in Ohio or New York, one thing is clear: Fraudsters will keep stealing taxpayer dollars until they are stopped.

Taxpayers bear the burden, while vulnerable Americans, the very people these programs are meant to help, are harmed.

The Trump administration has taken decisive action to combat waste, fraud, and abuse by establishing the White House Task Force to eliminate fraud.

Just this week, Vice President Vance referred our findings on Minnesota's rampant fraud to the Department of Justice for investigation.

Congress must take further action to stop fraud before it happens.

The Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act adds critical safeguards to ensure Federal payments go to the right recipient in the right amount before funds are awarded or disbursed.

Federal law currently lacks a governmentwide requirement to verify payments and prevent fraud across Federal financial assistance and public benefit programs.

Even when payments show elevated fraud risks, the Treasury Department cannot stop it. It is required to process the payments agencies request.

Under current law, agencies can issue payments despite flags received from Treasury's Do Not Pay system or other tools that might indicate an elevated risk of fraud.

H.R. 8464 addresses the status quo by requiring agencies to conduct fraud prevention activities prior to issuing payment requests. The bill gives Treasury the authority to halt and return payments flagged for fraud risk so agencies can review and correct them before issued.

Agencies would be required to quickly review and resolve payments flagged for elevated risk of fraud unless otherwise mandated by law.

This provides additional assurance to the American taxpayer that money is being paid to the right recipient and for the right amount while preserving the ownership of a program's administration within the appropriate Federal agency as authorized by law.

This bill also helps agencies and the American public understand when a legitimate recipient's identity is being stolen and used for fraudulent activities by criminals.

Lastly, to help Congress oversee progress made in addressing payments with elevated fraud risk, Treasury will summarize the number of returned payments, corrective outcome, and associated cost savings achieved under the requirements of this bill. This ensures Congress has regular oversight of these reforms.

The commonsense reforms outlined in this bill will protect taxpayer dollars from being stolen by fraudsters while maintaining the integrity of Federal programs.

Madam Speaker, I call on each of my House colleagues to support H.R. 8464 to protect taxpayer dollars from falling into the hands of criminals and fraudsters.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, let me translate that 5 minutes of gibberish from my colleague.

They don't care about fraud. When you do find fraud, like we found in Minnesota and California, they don't want to cut off the money. They want the money to keep going so the fraudsters can stay in business. That is why we have to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I know only 4 percent of government agencies are utilizing the Do Not Pay list, which--

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

Madam Speaker, the gentleman eloquently described the Democrat-in- Washington solution to every problem. Whether it is fraud prevention or whatever, it is to hire more government employees and create a bigger government bureaucracy.

This bill that we are debating today keeps the decision of whether or not to hold a payment with the agency. The agency ultimately interprets the results of Do Not Pay.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, these bills we have debated today, H.R. 8312 and H.R. 8464, should be considered in the broader context of the committee's legislative work on fraud prevention and financial integrity reforms.

This week, the House has advanced eight bipartisan fraud and program integrity reform bills that we originally passed out of the Oversight Committee that will safeguard taxpayer dollars from fraudsters and cheats.

Collectively, with the bills advanced in the House this week, the Oversight Committee is preventing fraudulent payments from going out the door, equipping the Federal workforce to fight fraud, protecting taxpayer dollars during national emergencies, reforming agency financial leadership roles to improve agency financial performance, and launching sweeping oversight work at the Government Accountability Office over State administration of federally funded programs.

These governmentwide fraud prevention reforms are long overdue. They will safeguard our constituents' tax dollars and ensure Federal programs deliver for citizens who need them the most, as Congress intended.

We must continue to advance bold reforms that meaningfully address fraud, and I am proud to say these bills brought before the House this week by the Oversight Committee take a meaningful step toward better stewardship of taxpayer dollars by protecting them from fraud.

Madam Speaker, I urge each of my House colleagues to join us in supporting H.R. 8464 as we work to protect the hard-earned tax dollars of the American people.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8463, the Pre- Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act.

Every year, the Federal Government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud and improper payments.

The Government Accountability Office estimates that the Federal Government has lost over $2.8 trillion since 2003 to payments that should never have been made or were made incorrectly.

Annual improper payments ballooned to nearly $236 billion in fiscal year 2023, more than six times the amount in 2003.

The Government Accountability Office also estimates that the Federal Government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud across government programs.

Fraud at these levels costs each tax filer, on average, between $1,000 and $3,000 per year. These losses should alarm each one of us and call us to action. The American taxpayer is covering the bill for fraud while criminals get rich.

This bill takes meaningful steps to mitigate this problem by meaningfully curbing fraudulent payments and improper payments before funds go out the door and are lost forever.

The Pre-Payment Fraud Prevention and Treasury Data Access Act enhances and expands government financial integrity controls by requiring anti-fraud risk evaluations to identify suspicious payments before agencies request a payment be issued by the U.S. Treasury.

These reforms are centered around increasing the use and effectiveness of the Treasury's existing Do Not Pay system. It is currently only utilized by a mere 4 percent of eligible programs across the government.

This bill will address the procedural hurdles agencies face in using the system and bring agencies into compliance with their required anti- fraud checks.

The bill also lowers barriers for the Treasury to bring additional nonsensitive datasets into the Do Not Pay system.

This legislation was drafted in coordination with privacy stakeholders to ensure appropriate data protection safeguards for personal and sensitive information.

The reforms in this legislation are commonsense and long overdue.

I thank House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Garcia and his staff for working together with us to ensure such crucial legislation could advance on a bipartisan basis.

Mr. Speaker, I think we have a strong bill that will truly make a meaningful difference for the financial and program integrity of the U.S. Government. I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan reform bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend, Fred Nesler. Fred was best known for his service as a very popular and effective member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1994 to 2012, where he represented his beloved home of Graves County in west Kentucky.

I first met Fred when I got elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2001. Fred and I were of different political parties, but that didn't matter to him. Fred was a public servant whose only priority was to best represent his constituents.

I was so impressed with Fred Nesler's leadership skills that I talked him into joining me at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in 2012 for all 4 years of my term as Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner.

Fred was a larger-than-life figure in west Kentucky politics who was loved by everyone.

Mr. Speaker, prior to his service in the Kentucky legislature, Fred was a field representative for Congressman Carroll Hubbard. Representative Hubbard once said Fred was the best that he had, and I replied, ``I have no doubt Fred Nesler was the very best.'' He was a west Kentucky legend who will be deeply missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Russell County native, Kevin Williams, for his outstanding commitment to public service and youth advocacy through the founding of Kevin's Kids, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting and uplifting local children.

Throughout Kevin's life, he has achieved recognition as a renowned guitarist and speaker, most notably as a member of The Gaither Vocal Band and as co-host of Bill Gaither's Homecoming Radio Show.

Despite his numerous commitments and busy schedule, Kevin has remained deeply rooted in his community and continues to invest in the next generation with his annual Kevin's Kids concert. The charity has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Russell County Family Resource and Youth Services Centers.

Kevin's life-long work reflects a strong dedication to service, compassion, and the enduring impact of hometown values. I commend Kevin for his commitment to his community and devotion to the Russell County youth and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Kevin for his exemplary contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Sheriff Dale

``Frog'' Ford, a devoted public servant, respected law enforcement officer, and cherished member of the Monroe County community.

Sheriff Ford dedicated his life to serving and protecting the people of his hometown. For forty-eight years he wore the badge with pride, integrity, and unwavering sense of duty. Over the course of his distinguished career, he served the citizens of Tompkinsville as Chief of Police for ten years and later as Sheriff of Monroe County for twelve years. In every role he held Sheriff Ford earned the trust and respect of those he served through his steady leadership, fairness, and deep commitment to his community.

I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife of twenty-one years, Ronda, and his children Kimberly, Chris, and Sean, and his stepchildren Shelby, and Alex, and his eight grandchildren. Sheriff Ford's service, courage, and leadership have set an example for future generations, of law enforcement officers. With his passing, Monroe County has lost a beloved and legendary figure who will not be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the biggest high school sports achievement in the history of Cumberland County, Kentucky.

Congratulations to the Cumberland County Lady Panther softball team on their recent victory in the 2026 All A Classic State Championship.

The Lady Panther victory marks the very first State championship won by any sports team in the history of Cumberland County High School.

Cumberland County is one of Kentucky's most rural counties, with a population of just over 6,000 residents. Cumberland Countians were so proud of their softball team, they lined the streets of Burkesville, Kentucky, for a massive parade honoring their hometown heroes.

Congratulations again to the State champion Cumberland County Lady Panther softball team.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize my good friend and First Congressional District of Kentucky resident, Dave Baker, upon his retirement from the University of Kentucky Sports Network after 37 years.

Dave ``Buzz'' Baker began his career at WKYT in Lexington as an intern and was hired full time upon his graduation from Georgetown College in 1982.

Dave and his lovely wife, Donna, reside in Frankfort and attend church with me and my family at Forks of Elkhorn Baptist in Midway, Kentucky.

Dave began working Southeastern Conference events in 1993 and has been a constant presence on the SEC Network and other University of Kentucky televised events ever since calling men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball.

Buzz Baker is a Kentucky sports legend who has always been and will continue to be a force in what we in the Bluegrass State call Big Blue Nation.

Mission of Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Madam Speaker, I rise to give an update on the work that the House Oversight Committee has been doing recently. I want to remind everyone that our mission on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee is to identify waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the Federal Government.

We have been going State by State and focusing on identifying massive fraud in the Federal welfare programs administered by poorly run States.

We began in Minnesota. We worked with nine whistleblowers. These whistleblowers were career State employees who came forward, and I hope that whistleblowers in other States saw how we treated those whistleblowers. We protected the whistleblowers.

We sat down with the whistleblowers. We interviewed them. We did transcribed interviews and took their testimony to produce a report to build our case to help with the Department of Justice's ongoing investigation in Minnesota on the welfare fraud.

What we concluded after bringing in people who were State employees in Minnesota who had been ringing the bell on fraud there for many years, we concluded that both Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz knew about the massive amounts of fraud in the welfare programs in Minnesota, yet did nothing about it, and in some instances, retaliated against the State employees who did the right thing and came forward.

Now we have moved our investigation into California, and we are focusing on a massive hospice fraud scheme--hospice of all things. This is a program I think every Member of Congress supports. Hospice is who we call in our deepest, darkest times of need.

We have zeroed in on one particular area in California: Los Angeles County. A recent audit revealed over $3.5 billion in hospice fraud primarily in one county: Los Angeles County.

What we found in Los Angeles County is that 18 percent of the total bill for the Federal Government for hospice in America went to one county. You had thousands of people registered as hospice providers billing hospice for hundreds and hundreds of patients that no one can find.

We are going to continue to work with auditors. We hope that whistleblowers will come forward in California like they did in Minnesota, and we are going to try to identify this and hopefully work with authorities in Minnesota who have prosecuted over two dozen people already in Minnesota for fraud.

We are serious on the House Oversight Committee, the Republicans are, about doing something about the massive amounts of fraud we are seeing. We want to get the backs of the American taxpayer. The hardworking taxpayers who work hard every day and send their tax dollars here to Washington are frustrated that we are losing so much money to fraud. We are going to do something about it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor all the brave first responder men and women who braved the dangerous terrain and frigid temperatures to help provide food and shelter, as well as to restore power and water to my constituents in Monroe and Allen Counties.

Last week, south central Kentucky experienced a catastrophic snow and ice storm that left many thousands without power and water, some for as long as 5 days, all while temperatures remained below freezing.

I especially want to recognize the workers at Tri-County Electric Membership Cooperative who worked all day and night, often during temperatures in the single digits, to restore power which was lost from the hundreds of power lines that completely broke from the freezing rain. These workers, along with our water utilities, law enforcement, and volunteer fire departments, deserve a huge thanks for stepping up and delivering in our time of need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address an issue very near and dear to my heart--industrial hemp.

As Kentucky's Commissioner of Agriculture, I led the charge to make Kentucky the very first State to legally grow hemp. Fast forward to today, hemp is a major crop for our Kentucky farmers, and nearly every farmer I know who grew hemp last year was a former tobacco farmer.

Hemp is doing exactly today what I predicted in 2015. It has become an alternative crop to tobacco for Kentucky farmers.

The Senate recently added language to a continuing resolution that would put our Kentucky hemp farmers out of business. I will be working to add language to the continuing resolution next week to fix it. I certainly hope all my colleagues will join with me in supporting this language to help our Kentucky farmers as well as the hundreds of jobs that have been created because of industrial hemp in Kentucky.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2550. Americans pay several hundred billion dollars in taxes each year to fund the salaries and benefits of more than 2 million Federal civilian employees. These workers are paid to carry out the critical mission and functions of the Federal Government, but the more than 340 million Americans who foot the bill do not directly manage Federal executive branch employees. They elect a President to do that.

The President directs the workforce of the executive branch so he can fulfill his constitutional duty to ensure the laws of the land are faithfully executed.

When President Trump ran for office last year, he told the American public that if--if elected, he would return Federal employees to their offices, reform the bureaucracy, and restore much-needed accountability to the workforce. The American people chose to elect him to do just that.

Even before President Trump took office, Federal collective bargaining legal authorities were weaponized to sabotage what Americans had voted for. On their way out the door, lameduck Biden administration officials signed collective bargaining agreements with Federal employee union bosses specifically designed to tie the hands of incoming President Trump.

In January, at our very first hearing this Congress, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform heard testimony from President Biden's Social Security Commissioner, Martin O'Malley. He cut a deal with union bosses after the November election and just before leaving the agency to run for chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The deal locked in telework levels for tens of thousands of Social Security Administration employees for the entirety of the incoming Trump administration. To be clear, this was done specifically to Trump- proof the workforce and to force the incoming President to continue the failed management policies the public had just voted to end.

We must ask: Are we going to uphold the President's constitutional role as head of the executive branch?

Can he truly lead if he is held hostage by union deals to which he never

agreed and were intended to undermine his authority?

Should an elected President be unable to bring tax-funded Federal employees back to work for his entire 4-year term?

The American people do not think so.

That is why the House Committee on Oversight and Reform adopted legislation that would allow the President to manage the workforce without being bound by last-minute union agreements designed to undermine him. That legislation, the Preserving Presidential Management Authority Act, sponsored by Representative Cloud of Texas, is the bill we should be debating here today.

It is important to remember that public-sector unions are fundamentally different from their private-sector counterparts. In fact, none other than Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a major champion of private-sector unions, believed that public-sector unions made no sense. FDR wrote: ``The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service.''

Why is that? In the private sector, unions represent workers and sit across the bargaining table from representatives of businessowners. However, Federal unions are not negotiating with a profit-seeking corporation. They are negotiating with the public's elected representatives.

As FDR put it in the case of the public sector, the employer is the whole people. Federal unions, in other words, seek concessions not from private owners but from the taxpayers themselves.

Since Federal salaries and benefits are determined by laws, which also establish basic civil service protections for employees, what exactly do Federal unions bargain over? They bargain over conditions of employment like telework.

Unions also seek contract provisions that limit management's ability to hold employees accountable through disciplinary procedures or performance management processes.

I urge my colleagues to buck Federal union bosses. Put Americans first and oppose the so-called Protect America's Workforce Act.

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

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cloud).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gill).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, that was a long minute for the leader of the Democratic Party to advocate for more work-from-home policies for our Federal employees.

I think the American people have spoken loud and clear. They support our Federal employees, like the Republican Party, but we expect them to show up for work, not get paid to be home and not be accessible by phone or by computer or by email.

That is what we heard from the leader of the Democratic Party.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, she mentioned healthcare, and the healthcare system that she is talking about that she says has failed is ObamaCare, what they voted for and they created. I just find it ironic.

I hope every taxpayer in America who gets up in the morning, drives to work, works hard, and pays their taxes is listening to this debate because there is a difference here.

What the President is trying to do is make government more efficient. The argument I am hearing here, and I think the people who work hard and pay taxes are hearing, there is not a single government agency that is at any time inefficient. Every single Federal employee is at 100 percent efficiency and doesn't need to be held accountable. They can work from home and do whatever they want.

We support the Federal workforce. We want to make the Federal workforce hardier. We want the taxpayers to get their money's worth out of the hard-earned taxes that they send to Washington.

What this legislation is doing and the goal is to try to hinder the President's ability to get the backs of the American taxpayer and ensure that every government agency is efficient and every Federal employee is working hard, just like the taxpayers who work hard and pay taxes and send their tax dollars here to Congress for us to appropriate.

I think that is an important part of the discussion that needs to be mentioned on the floor. I hope that a lot of people in America, working hard, frustrated with Washington are watching this debate. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the President has been fighting back against the deals that public sector unions have negotiated for themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer by invoking an existing legal authority.

H.R. 2550 directly threatens that progress by overturning the President's executive order that exercises one of the few tools available to him under the law to more effectively manage the Federal workforce.

Now, it is no secret that accountability problems in the Federal workforce are legendary. It takes a Herculean effort to fire a poorly performing Federal worker or one who is engaged in misconduct.

Collective bargaining agreements often create procedural hurdles to firing such employees, above and beyond steps required in law and regulation.

For example, unions can bring removals before private arbitrators instead of appealing to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

The Trump administration is exercising its electoral mandate to address this problem.

For instance, the President has embarked on an ambitious overhaul of the performance management system and is pursuing more streamlined disciplinary procedures.

The reality is that preexisting union agreements the President never signed onto can subvert these efforts. They provide barriers to accountability beyond basic employee protections that exist in law. Perhaps the most inappropriate aspect of Federal collective bargaining agreements come from provisions governing the use of official time, which is when Federal employees are paid by taxpayers to do union business.

Indeed, many Federal employees spend all their time doing union business. More than 3 million Federal employee work hours were spent doing union business time in 2024 alone, according to the OPM report.

The cost to American taxpayers in salary and benefits was more than $200 million. There was an additional $31 million cost for related expenses, primarily the provision of Federal meeting space. The only reason we know this is that the Trump administration collected and reported this 2024 data.

House Oversight Committee Republicans have attempted to legislate annual public reporting on the use and abuse of official time. However, Democrats have consistently opposed even this ounce of accountability.

They have another opportunity to change their ways by supporting the current version of this legislation H.R. 5749, the Official Time Reporting Act. However, if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not interested in supporting legislative reforms to bring accountability to the Federal workforce and public sector unions, they should at the very least not roll back existing progress made under this administration.

I, therefore, call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with the American taxpayer by supporting the administration's efforts to bring accountability to the executive branch's workforce and oppose H.R. 2550.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorable Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Mr. Dodaro will complete his term as the Nation's eighth Comptroller General at the end of 2025. This year will conclude Mr. Dodaro's distinguished 52-year career at GAO, Congress' nonpartisan investigative arm.

For over more than five decades, Mr. Dodaro has worked tirelessly to help safeguard American taxpayers from fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, and to strengthen efficiency and effectiveness of Federal programs.

Mr. Dodaro directed the first-ever audit of the Federal Government's consolidated financial statements in the 1990s. This was a landmark effort that underscored the need for better financial management and accountability governmentwide.

Throughout his career, Mr. Dodaro has testified before Congress more than 200 times and has played a pivotal role in advancing major reforms. These reforms include the Government Performance and Results Act, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, the Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act, and various other governmentwide improper payments and financial integrity reforms.

Under his leadership, GAO estimated its work has produced more than $1.2 trillion in financial benefits for the American people and driven tens of thousands of improvements in Federal operations and programs.

Having spent more than half his career as either the Comptroller General or GAO's Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Dodaro has shaped the GAO into the institution that Congress depends on every single day. He strengthened the agency's science, technology, and cybersecurity expertise, ensuring GAO remains well positioned to oversee Federal investments in these emerging and rapidly evolving fields.

Under his stewardship, GAO's High Risk List and duplication reports became an essential roadmap for congressional oversight and reform. The Oversight Committee has relied upon this expertise to enhance its monitoring of agencies' progress toward addressing Federal IT acquisition reforms, preventing improper payments and fraud, and the Department of Defense's financial management practices, among other efforts.

Mr. Dodaro embodies GAO's values of nonpartisanship, objectivity, reliability, and professionalism. He is deeply respected across the government and the oversight community for his integrity, candor, and dedication.

His knowledge of Federal programs and operations has made him one of the most trusted and sought-after witnesses before Congress. Time and time again, he has impressed Members with his ability to explain complex issues, often without a single note in front of him. Yet, despite his immense expertise, he remains one of the most humble public servants.

Mr. Dodaro's leadership has also inspired a culture of excellence within GAO. The agency has consistently ranked among the best places to work in the Federal Government throughout his tenure as Comptroller General. This is a reflection of the loyalty and admiration he has earned from the GAO workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Gene Dodaro, who truly defines what it means to be a public servant. For more than half a century, he has helped Congress fulfill its constitutional responsibilities with integrity, honor, and steadfast commitment to the American people.

On behalf of Congress, I thank Mr. Dodaro for his remarkable service to our Nation.

Congratulating Boyle County High School Rebels

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the Boyle County Rebels, a football powerhouse in Kentucky's First Congressional District, upon winning the Class 4A State championship, marking their fifth straight title in the last 6 years.

This remarkable accomplishment is a testament to the program's hard work, discipline, and excellence, both on and off the field. Under the leadership of Coach Justin Haddix, the Class 4A Coach of the Year, and standout player, Seneca Driver, the Class 4A Player of the Year, the Rebels overcame an early-season setback to finish strong and capture another State title. Their perseverance and focus exemplify the spirit of champions.

I congratulate the players, coaches, faculty, and supporters of Boyle County High School on this extraordinary milestone. The Rebels have built a legacy of excellence that continues to inspire pride and unity throughout the Boyle County community.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this motion, and I yield back the balance of my time.