Eric Burlison

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2414) to require agencies with working dog programs to implement the recommendations of the Government Accountability Office relating to the health and welfare of working dogs, and for other purposes.

Mr. BURLISON. 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 this measure.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2414, the Working Dog Health and Welfare Act of 2023. As of February 2022, there are nearly 5,500 working dogs that have served in the Federal Government. They are tasked with many jobs, including the detection of explosives, narcotics, and missing persons. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Yakym).

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill to protect working dogs within the Federal Government, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Financial Management Risk Reduction Act of 2024, which will improve the quality and completeness of financial audit data of large Federal grant recipients. If an entity receives Federal financial assistance from the Federal Government, we should be able to closely review their financial statements and expenditures of Federal funds to ensure that every transaction is legitimate. I thank my House Oversight Committee colleague, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, for leading the House companion of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this sensible reform, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which will improve the quality and completeness of financial audit data of large Federal grant recipients, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9595) to improve Federal technology procurement, and for other purposes.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9595, the FIT Procurement Act. This bill streamlines the procurement process for small businesses and small transactions and would enable the government to take full advantage of commercial best practices. This legislation achieves this in three ways: first, by increasing the micro purchase threshold, or the MPT, from $10,000 to $25,000; second, by increasing the simplified acquisition threshold, or the SAT, from $250,000 to $500,000; and, third, by authorizing advance payments for certain types of software and cloud computing. On the first, I would note that purchases under the MPT, which currently account for a tiny fraction of overall government contract spending, do not require the involvement of a Federal contracting officer. For this reason, raising the MPT from $10,000 to $25,000 is estimated by George Mason's Baroni Center for Government Contracting to save more than $40 million annually in Federal administrative costs. This allows contracting officers to focus more time on larger acquisitions, where the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse is far greater. Further, purchases above the MPT and below the SAT are subject to simplified procedures in order to reduce administrative costs and promote opportunities for small businesses. By increasing the SAT from $250,000 to $500,000, this bill provides opportunities for small businesses and reduces administrative burdens for smaller government contracts. Finally, by allowing for advance payments for software services, this bill saves taxpayer dollars by allowing Federal agencies to access the discounts that are currently available through upfront payments to the private sector. I thank Chairman Comer and his staff for working with me on this effort in the Oversight Committee, and I thank Senators Peters and Cruz for leading the Senate companion to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, which will streamline the procurement process for small businesses and small transactions, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6244) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1535 East Los Ebanos Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas, as the ``1st Lieutenant Andres Zermeno Post Office Building''.

Mr. BURLISON. 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 this measure.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office in Texas after 1st Lieutenant Andres Zermeno. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to designate a post office for 1st Lieutenant Zermeno, an American war hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 59) to implement merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 59, the Chance to Compete Act. The concept of this bill is very simple: Let's hire applicants for Federal positions based on whether they have the skills to do the job. Too frequently, the Federal hiring process is based on whether or not somebody has a degree even if that degree has nothing to do with the position. Additionally, Federal hiring managers also rely on required self- assessments filled out by applicants to determine their own skill sets, strengths, and weaknesses. Not surprisingly, such self-assessments do not work very well. The Chance to Compete Act authorizes agencies to develop appropriate skills-based examinations so that applicants for Federal jobs can show what they know. Federal supervisors have said that their top concern is getting a pool of quality candidates to perform necessary jobs. The Chance to Compete Act addresses this problem head-on. It will create teams of subject matter experts to help agencies create assessments that are geared for the job. This idea is supported by Federal managers, and it builds off of work begun in the Trump administration, which the Biden administration has continued. I thank Representative Foxx, the sponsor of the House companion bill, along with Representatives Connolly, Khanna, Mfume, and Mace for their support. This is a good policy that will help the American people's government work better, and I urge my colleagues to support S. 59. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

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

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3946) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1106 Main Street in Bastrop, Texas, as the ``Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office''.

Mr. BURLISON. 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 this measure.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office located in Texas in honor of Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh. Sergeant Major Waugh served for five decades as an Army paratrooper, Special Forces soldier, combat veteran, USPS mail handler, and CIA paramilitary operations officer. He passed away in April 2023. I support naming a post office in honor of Sergeant Major Waugh, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the House passed the Water Resources and Development Act which includes essential protection for property owners on Table Rock Lake in my district. Table Rock Lake is more than just a body of water. It is beloved as a landmark in southwest Missouri and a crown jewel of the Ozarks. The provisions in this bill will ensure that property owners who have inadvertently encroached parts of their homes on corps land or rely on septic systems do not have to remove these essential structures. I extend my gratitude to Chairman Graves, a proud fellow Missourian and a steadfast advocate for this cause. I also wish to thank Subcommittee Chairman Rouzer for his unwavering support of these critical provisions. Together, we are standing up for the rights and the livelihoods of the residents of Table Rock Lake. This is a proud, proud moment for southwest Missouri, and I am so honored to be leading this effort.

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Karen Matthews, the Christian County, Missouri, Treasurer, on her retirement. Christian County is home to nearly 90,000 citizens in the southwest part of Missouri, and Ms. Matthews has served as an elected official there for 22 years. During her tenure, Ms. Matthews has achieved many accomplishments. She manages nearly $50 million annually in county revenue and transitioned the county's operations from a third-class county to a first-class county due to the area's population growth. She initiated online banking for the county, direct deposit payroll for county employees and implemented premier financial software. She also saved the county thousands of dollars by implementing a more efficient time and attendance software. Finally, despite the millions of annual transactions, the county has successfully passed all of its dozens of audits with 100-percent compliance. Ms. Matthews was honored by her peers by being elected as the treasurer for the Missouri County Treasurer's Association, a position she has held since 2012. She also is the treasurer for Mt. Zion Baptist Church, serves on the Missouri County Treasurer's Association legislative board and is a member of several area chambers of commerce. In addition to her public service, she has been the co-owner of several small businesses in the construction and home design fields. I'd like to congratulate Ms. Matthews on her well-deserved retirement. She has faithfully executed her responsilities as county treasurer and she will be missed. I wish her the very best in the next phase of her life.

Mr. BURLISON

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bill Barnett, a remarkable public servant, as he celebrates his 80th birthday. For over two decades as the Christian County Western District Commissioner, Bill's leadership transformed our community with paving roads, building bridges, and modernizing services that have improved countless lives. Beyond infrastructure, Bill's faith has guided his life. A devoted member of the Nixa Church of the Nazarene, he and his wife, Glenna, embody compassion and service. Bill also supports boards and causes from senior centers to environmental initiatives, all while running a small business and cherishing his role as a family man. Bill's faith, integrity, and dedication inspire us all. Happy 80th birthday, Bill. Your legacy is a blessing to us all.