Matt Cartwright

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment blocks an important rule requiring major Federal contractors to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks and sets science-based emissions reduction targets. The Federal Government is the world's single-largest buyer of goods and services, purchasing over $630 billion in the last fiscal year alone. Accordingly, the rule recognizes that the Federal Government also faces significant financial risks from climate change. This amendment would have us bury our heads in the sand, ignore the Federal Government's exposure to climate change impacts, and prevent us from working toward commonsense climate goals. For those reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, the Federal Labor Relations Authority's proposed changes to rules around how and when Federal employees can cancel payments of their union dues merely restores a longstanding policy about dues payments that had been in place since 1981. The policy merely establishes that employees may opt out of their union dues payments during a certain time period each year. Under this longstanding procedure, Federal employees who choose to join their agency's union are made aware of the annual dues revocation period. Every year some members choose to revoke their membership and cease paying dues, a fair process that has worked well for decades. This amendment would block these decades-old rules and introduce less stability, less financial security, and less predictability for Federal employee unions. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I claim the time in opposition, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, Congress gave the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB, the job of ensuring that consumer protection laws are enforced consistently and that companies do not engage in unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices. The statute is clear that this authority extends to oversight of nonbank companies that offer financial services or products. Consistent with its mission of protecting consumers from abusive practices, the CFPB's nonbank registry will provide increased transparency over this sector and deter bad behavior. This amendment would stymie the CFPB's important effort on behalf of consumers and block the agency from preventing abusive practices by nonbanks that offer Financial Services or products. Congress has to focus its attention on strengthening consumer protections for working people and investors, preventing companies from charging junk fees, and supporting enforcement to crack down on unscrupulous behavior. These are things we should be doing. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is opposed, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment. A nonpartisan civil service ensures Federal agencies carry out their missions with professionalism, safeguards the rule of law over partisanship, and ensures continuity between Presidential administrations. This didn't use to be a dispute in Washington, D.C. There was a clear, longstanding bipartisan consensus behind these principles until the previous administration attempted to undermine statutory merit- based protections for Federal civil servants. Their effort would have moved tens of thousands of career Federal employees to a new job classification that would remove their employment protections. This amendment seeks to block the Office of Personnel Management's efforts to uphold these vital protections and works to undermine the integrity of a merit-based, nonpartisan civil service. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment, and I urge a ``no'' vote. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment which would hinder efforts to promote transparency and accountability in small business lending and create hurdles for lenders and community organizations working to help women-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses access capital. The CFPB's rulemaking would provide small business owners, lenders, and the public with critical information about the $1.7 trillion small business financing market. This amendment would harm all those who stand to benefit from this expanded transparency and accountability. Small businesses are the engines of our American economy. Congress should not take action such as this amendment to hurt their ability to prosper. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment, and I urge a ``no'' vote. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I acknowledge that there is probably no Member of this House happier than I am not to have to wear a mask this afternoon. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. It is a useless amendment. The COVID public health emergency has ended. This is water over the dam. We should stop wasting the House's time on useless amendments. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment, and I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, this amendment is opposed, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. It is an amendment that would block the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's proposal to strengthen standards for public company auditors to more proactively identify, evaluate, and communicate a company's noncompliance with laws and rules. Why in the world wouldn't we want to warn investors about scofflaw companies? The PCAOB's proposal will increase auditor vigilance against fraud and general noncompliance with laws and regulations. Steps like these would encourage companies to take more timely action to remediate issues and reduce harm to investors. This amendment would represent a significant setback to PCAOB's commonsense efforts to combat fraud. Let's protect investors. I strongly oppose this amendment, and I urge a ``no'' vote. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.