James Comer

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Congress is charged with overseeing the general management and operations of government agencies. For the success of each Federal program, we must have a competent and skilled workforce to deliver services to the American people, defend our Nation, and execute the laws passed by Congress. However, agencies currently lack the tools to identify and hire the best candidates to fill the broad types of job positions supporting the Federal Government's various missions and programs. The problem is that hiring for the Federal civil service has over- relied on the paper credentials and self-administered job proficiency assessments of candidates. The Chance to Compete Act makes sure agencies use objective, skills- based assessments to evaluate job candidates. The private sector already uses such structured interviews, knowledge tests, and writing samples for the hiring process. It is time for the Federal Government to do so, as well. Agencies should be able to hire professionals that can do the work, and there are many ways to build the right kind of professional expertise. H.R. 6967 represents one of those rare, bipartisan legislative reforms that targets a specific problem, implements tested solutions, and reflects private-sector best practices. The bill codifies and improves upon policy initiatives begun in the Trump administration which the Biden administration is continuing to implement. Mr. Speaker, I thank the House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Maloney and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly for working diligently with the bill's cosponsor, Congressman Jody Hice, to strengthen this bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Ro Khanna, Virginia Foxx, and Kweisi Mfume for their support. We hope that our Senate colleagues can rapidly advance this important legislation so it can be signed into law this year, and I urge my colleagues to support this smart reform bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill aimed at hiring applicants for Federal positions based on whether they have the relevant skills to do the job. The American people deserve nothing less from their Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, it is important that Federal agencies plan and prepare for future infectious disease outbreaks and do so in a transparent manner. This bill is much improved and now also focuses on maintaining Federal agency services to the American people through a potential future public health emergency. Federal agencies exist to serve the American people. This is true during national public health emergencies, also. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to express sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Suthammanont. I appreciate the underlying intent of this legislation: To ensure the safety of Federal workers. I also appreciate how this version of the bill has been improved from the prior versions the House has considered. Thankfully, there are no longer vaccine requirements for Federal workers in the bill, and the bill is now future-looking, no longer tied specifically to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, it makes sense to be prepared for any future public health emergencies. While the safety of the Federal workers is important, so is mission accomplishment and customer service. In considering this new version, Committee on Oversight and Reform Republicans ensured the plans this bill requires would be made through the lens of continuity of operations. That is, continuing to provide Americans the services they need, regardless of the situation. I am pleased to see my colleagues, Representative Jody Hice's amendment receive full support in the Committee on Oversight and Reform last week and be incorporated into the bill we are considering today. H.R. 8466 now ensures that the next time America faces a public health emergency, Federal agencies will be required to balance their workforce safety measures with plans to accomplish their missions while minimizing impacts to customer service. Agencies will be required to make these plans public for Inspector General review and congressional scrutiny. Americans who rely on Federal agency services, such as our veterans, should never again be forgotten when their government sends its workforce home. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Connolly for working with Mr. Hice to improve the bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act ensures that Federal agencies are not paying for or participating in human trafficking or human sex trafficking through grants or contracts. This is a particular concern for overseas contracts in which some unscrupulous companies may take advantage of vulnerable third-country workers. Congress has acted before to address this problem. Unfortunately, both the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Defense Inspector General have found that trafficking by contractors and grantees continues. This bill moves to send a clear message: Trafficking will not be tolerated. Under current law, agencies are already required to refer allegations of human or sex trafficking to the Inspector General for investigation. If found to be true, that agency has a number of options to deal with the situation, but this bill requires all substantiated cases be reported to the agency's suspension and debarment official. In the contracting world, this is serious business. After due process, a contractor could be prohibited from receiving future government contracts or other government benefits. This bill ensures all current or would-be grantees or contractors take all measures necessary to stop human or sex trafficking. Finally, the bill directs the Office of Management and Budget to report on enforcement of the laws so we in Congress could conduct the necessary oversight. I thank Senators James Lankford and Joni Ernst for sending this important bill to the House for final passage in Congress today. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and for the President to sign S. 3470 into law. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Not a single dime of taxpayer money should ever flow to anyone engaged in human or sex trafficking activities. This bill is an important step toward ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer money. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, if this bill sounds familiar to Members, there is good reason for that. Once again, the House of Representatives is debating a bipartisan bill to secure Federal agency use of modern cloud computing services. However, this time we are doing it as H.R. 8956, the Federal Secure Cloud Improvement and Jobs Act. Formerly named the FedRAMP Authorization Act, this was the first bill the House passed this Congress, as H.R. 21, on January 5, 2021. We also passed the same legislation as part of this year's House version of the National Defense Authorization Act. This is such an important issue that we are here again to send an improved bill back to the Senate for final passage. Cybersecurity and technology modernization are both vital issues to ensure this government runs efficiently, effectively, and safely. We need this legislation to address the continued onslaught of cyberattacks that have compromised both the private and public sectors' critical information systems. Cloud computing is an important innovation. It allows users to tap into extra resources to meet spikes in demand, like what agencies saw when trying to deliver COVID-relief assistance. It also allows them to access modernized applications without the need for them to also invest in their own data storage equipment. While cloud computing is the norm in the private sector, we still need to encourage agencies to adopt this technology when it makes sense. We also must ensure cloud computing services are secure. That is where the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program comes in. FedRAMP, run by the General Services Administration, is the main Federal program focused on helping agencies procure secure cloud computing systems. It provides a consistent process to ensure agencies know a given cloud service meets Federal cybersecurity standards. It also provides clarity for vendors, so they understand the requirements to ensure their products are secure enough for Federal agency use. Shifting to the cloud is more cost effective, allows for better citizen services and mission-based solutions, and provides more responsive technology capabilities overall. These improved efficiencies have led to significant cost savings. At the end of fiscal year 2021, the GSA estimated that over the FedRAMP program's 10-year lifespan, it had helped agencies avoid $716 million in individual security review costs. So while agencies are not required to buy FedRAMP-approved services, it makes sense to encourage them to do so. After passing the earlier version, H.R. 21, the Senate also made changes that improved the bill we are considering today. Such updates include striking the unnecessary authorization of $20 million in appropriations and requiring better oversight of the industry costs associated with becoming FedRAMP certified. This will help ensure both small and large businesses can participate in the program. In addition, this version also seeks to identify and avoid bottlenecks that slow approval. It also takes steps to secure the software supply chain from threats by foreign bad actors, the likely source of the 2020 SolarWinds attack that targeted numerous private sector companies and Federal agencies. Codifying this successful program into law is an important step towards encouraging Federal agencies to take full advantage of this program and all the security benefits it offers. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, protecting our public's valuable information is something we can all agree on. I hope we can continue to do our job and work together on improving the Federal Government cybersecurity and adoption of modern technology. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, artificial intelligence, or AI, is a term that applies to a wide variety of technologies. AI plays a role in applications to simplify our everyday lives by performing complex tasks. Navigation apps, online banking apps, spam filters, and even asking Siri or Alexa who won the Presidents Cup in North Carolina this weekend all employ various types of AI technology. The Federal Government also uses AI to improve government services and efficiency. While there are multiple executive orders and initiatives promoting the use of AI across the government, to date there has not been a collective effort to train Federal workers who identify, buy, and manage artificial intelligence capabilities. The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, established in the fiscal year 2019 NDAA, has called for the Federal workforce to be better trained on artificial intelligence. Mr. Speaker, when you consider the technology race against nations like China, the stakes are very high. In fact, the commission noted in its final report that the competition for government adoption of artificial intelligence technologies 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. The Artificial Intelligence Training for the Acquisition Workforce Act establishes a government-wide training program for Federal workers responsible for AI program management and acquisition. This training will help ensure the consistent and safe procurement and use of AI products across the Federal Government. Those purchasing and using AI systems in Federal agency missions and programs need to understand the limits of the technology's capabilities and the risks posed by potential misuse. The American taxpayers deserve nothing less. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Chairwoman Maloney working with me on the House companion bill for this legislation. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker I have no further speakers. In closing, Mr. Speaker, artificial intelligence is proving to be a game-changing technology for nearly every sector of our economy. For instance, artificial intelligence helps farmers efficiently grow crops, scientists develop new materials, and weather forecasters predict hurricanes more accurately. In the Federal Government, the Social Security Administration uses AI to determine benefit claims. Artificial Intelligence Training for the Acquisition Workforce Act will be invaluable to the Federal approach to artificial intelligence. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations.

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

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the distinguished majority leader quoting the Constitution's constitutional role of Congress in making policy. I will remind my friend, the majority leader, that it is Congress' role to appropriate money, not the President. And that is why we should have oversight hearings on the $300 billion student loan bailout proposal that the President unconstitutionally proposed. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Greene).

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. The U.S. House of Representatives needs to concentrate its energy on helping Americans survive economic turmoil and defending our borders and national security. I once again urge House Democrats to get back to what the American people elected us to do: conduct oversight over the Federal Government and the Biden administration, which is on a path to destroy America. We need to hold hearings, conduct oversight, and pass legislation affecting the crises that every American is facing today. That is our constitutional responsibility. But instead, today, we are once again spending valuable resources and time on divisive political messaging legislation. I think if any American was watching this committee hearing today, they would share the frustration of those of us on this side of the aisle who are trying to drain the swamp, who are trying to hold unelectable, unaccountable Federal bureaucrats who refuse to do their jobs accountable. That is part of the job of Congress. This bureaucracy gets bigger every Congress. I have noticed, with the exception of one speaker, all the speakers on the other side of the aisle who spoke in favor of this bill represent the Washington, D.C. Federal bureaucracy workforce. The majority of Congress, we represent America, and America wants to hold poor-performing government employees, bureaucrats, who are paid with their hard-earned tax dollars, accountable. That is why the Republicans oppose this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is apparently Groundhog Day in the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, just like the last day we debated a bill in the Oversight and Reform Committee's jurisdiction, Americans continue to face sky-high inflation, painfully high gas prices, and supply chain shortages. Americans continue to face the consequences of a broken border that allow fentanyl shipments to flood in and kill our teens, along with a host of other urgent problems. They continue to look to this Congress for help with these real and pressing crises. Yet, what are Democrats prioritizing instead of addressing these issues during one of the last legislative weeks of this session? Another bill that insulates Federal bureaucracy from accountability. This time the bill is Representative Connolly's Preventing a Patronage System Act. This is just another Democrat bill that has nothing to do with the American people's priorities. What is the problem the bill tries to address? The Democrats' bill seeks to prevent future Presidents making Federal employees more accountable to the American people whom they serve. Our Founding Fathers never envisioned a massive, unelected, unaccountable Federal Government with the power to create policies that impact Americans' everyday lives. But that is currently the state of today's Federal bureaucracy. President Trump sought to take on this bureaucracy and restore power to the people by draining the swamp. He issued an executive order in October 2020 to help make Federal bureaucrats who have the ability to create and implement policy more accountable for their actions. We should all be in favor of policies making it easier to remove civil servants who refuse to follow the will of the voters. That is what President Trump's executive order did. Democrats are beholden to the Federal bureaucracy--a workforce who thinks they know better than the American people. They are wrong. Democrats have made every effort to preserve bureaucrats' ability to thwart the policies of any President who tries to implement policies to reign in the expansive influence of the Federal Government over the daily lives of Americans. This bill is contrary to the American way of government--of the people, by the people, and for the people. The bill's sponsors allege it is a bill that prevents a return to the patronage system instituted in the 19th century. That is simply not true. President Trump never attempted to return to a patronage system. Just the opposite. Instead of instituting a new patronage system, President Trump simply made it easier to discipline or remove civil service officials in our government's policymaking roles. These influential Federal employees should not be allowed to chronically underperform or actively undermine the work of their politically accountable superiors. If you support an efficient and effective executive branch that is accountable to the American voters, then you must oppose H.R. 302. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this commonsense amendment offered by my friend, Representative Hice. President Trump took needed steps to ensure civil servants serve the American people, not their own interests. One of President Biden's first actions was to undo these needed reforms. Representative Connolly introduced this bill, even before President Biden was sworn in, to overturn President Trump's action and to prevent any future President from reinstating them. Obviously, the Biden administration has a radically different view of the Federal workforce than President Trump did, one that House Republicans strongly disagree with. This amendment would simply ensure that a future President could reinstate a policy similar to schedule F to allow for more accountability within the career civil service. We should not tie the hands of a future duly-elected President to implement the clear mandates of the American people.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond to what my friend, Mr. Connolly, just said. This schedule F has been grossly mischaracterized by my friends on the other side of the aisle. I want to relay a scenario. Let's say, Mr. Speaker, that this year were a Presidential election year. Let's say that gas prices were an issue in the election. One Presidential candidate campaigns on: We are going to lower the price of gasoline at the pump significantly. We are going to lower it to the price it was when President Trump was in office. The other Presidential candidate campaigns, and says: No, we are going to convert everything to electric vehicles, and everything is going to be fine. I would say in that scenario the candidate who says they are going to lower gas prices is going to win overwhelmingly because this is one of the biggest issues in America right now. Fast-forward to the administration. The President comes in, and he says: We are going to lower gas prices because we are going to issue more permits and we are going to reduce the barriers and roadblocks that the previous administration put in to block the American energy companies. He orders that. He has got a mandate from the people on that issue. The bureaucrats then say: No. No. We are not going to issue more permits. No. We are going to make it even harder. You can't frack and you can't drill. I don't care what the American people said at the voting box. I am Mr. Bureaucrat, and no, we are not going to do it. That is why we need schedule F employees because the unelected bureaucrats are not accountable to the American people. We have got a scenario here in Washington, D.C. where the unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats are calling the shots, regardless of the will of the American people. That is why we support President Trump's proposal for the schedule F employees. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the U.S. House of Representatives should focus on helping the American people survive economic turmoil and defending our borders and national security. I urge House Democrats to get back to what the American people elected us to do: Conduct oversight over the Federal Government and the Biden administration, which is on a path to destroy America. We need to hold hearings, conduct oversight, and pass legislation addressing the crises affecting America today. That is our constitutional responsibility. But instead, we are spending valuable resources and time on divisive political messaging bills. I am just amazed that the Democrats advocate for legislation on the House floor pertaining to the Census, which would ask a question about your sexual preference, but they want to pass legislation to oppose asking the question whether you are a legal citizen or not. That is just another example of tone-deaf leadership. That is not what the American people want. Mr. Chairman, I oppose H.R. 8326, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chair, I rise to oppose the amendments en bloc.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, Americans continue to face several crises created by the Biden administration: Sky-high inflation, painfully high gas prices, and supply chain shortages. President Biden's border crisis is allowing waves of illegal immigrants and fentanyl shipments to flood across our southern border. Our children are suffering from historic learning losses and a mental health crisis because this administration allowed radical teachers unions to keep schools closed. Yet what are Democrats prioritizing today instead of these crises impacting Americans' everyday lives? The Democrats' Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census Act. This bill has nothing to do with the American people's priorities. In fact, it will do nothing to make the Census more fair and accurate. Instead, it places a great deal of power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and hamstrings future Presidents. During the prior Census, the President sought to include in the Census a question simply asking respondents whether they were American citizens. The Supreme Court found this was constitutional but that the Census Bureau had gone about it improperly. This bill would prevent the inclusion of such a question in the future, a question key to upholding the principle of one citizen, one vote. Now, under the Biden administration, there are questions about whether the Department of Commerce delivered accurate apportionment results derived from the Census. Those results were critical because they determined the apportionment of this body's 435 congressional districts among the several States. We still don't know for sure whether the apportionment results were fair and accurate. But this bill does nothing to fix that problem or any of the other real problems associated with the 2020 Census. Indeed, it will make it easier for future Census results to drive the apportionment of congressional districts unfairly to favor blue, Democrat-leaning States over red, Republican-leaning States. Why is that? Because the bill weakens the accountability of the Census Bureau to the President and the Secretary of Commerce, committing by statute all operational, statistical, and technical decisions about the Census to the Census Bureau's Director. The bill makes it harder to overrule the Director even when the President, the Secretary, or Congress are concerned, the Director's decisions will yield an unfair or inaccurate Census. Making matters worse, the bill allows only an unaccountable career employee to serve as acting director when no Senate-confirmed director is in place. Finally, the bill severely constrains the ability of future Censuses to include important new questions, such as the citizenship question, which a majority of Americans want asked on the Census. But it is precisely the counting of actual citizens that ensures Census results will produce congressional districts fairly, representing all citizens in Congress. During the Oversight and Reform Committee's consideration of this bill, Republicans offered amendments that would have cured these problems. These amendments would have made sure Census Bureau officials remained accountable to the voters through the President. They would have made sure a question on citizenship would have been included in future Censuses, guaranteeing a fair basis for the apportionment of congressional districts. But were Democrats concerned then about ensuring a fair and accurate Census by supporting these amendments? No. Democrats voted them down on a party-line vote. Mr. Chairman, the American people deserve better from this legislative body. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.