Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman such time as he may consume.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Porter), the vice chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the Oversight Committee.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, first, I would like to recognize the hard work of the chairman of the subcommittee. He authored two proposals that were included in the bill and was a major leader on it. I thank Mr. Connolly. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Oversight Committee and a member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis of the Oversight Committee.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Independence is the bedrock principle of inspectors general, and this legislation would protect and enhance their critical work. As I mentioned earlier, this legislation has the support of several nonpartisan, good government groups, including the Project on Government Oversight, the Government Accountability Project, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and many, many others. It also contains several bipartisan bills that are part of the overall inspector general reform bill. I ask that the support letters from the good government groups be included in the Record. June 28, 2021. Dear Representative: The undersigned organizations write to express our support for the IG Independence and Empowerment Act (H.R. 2662) and to urge you to vote for this critical legislation. Our federal inspectors general (IGs) identify and investigate waste, fraud, and abuse within the executive branch. The importance of their work cannot be overstated. Executive branch officials and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle rely on oversight conducted by inspectors general to inform their policy-making. These watchdogs continually return substantial savings for taxpayers. In fiscal year 2020 alone, inspectors general identified potential savings of approximately $53 billion. And perhaps most importantly, inspectors general investigate and expose abuses of power that may infringe on constitutional rights. If enacted, this legislation would address critical weaknesses in laws that have limited the effectiveness and threatened the independence of these watchdogs. For example, most inspectors general lack the authority to compel former agency officials, subcontractors, or subgrantees to cooperate with IG investigations. This has limited the ability of our watchdogs to effectively review federal programs for waste and fraud and to investigate federal employees accused of misconduct. The IG Independence and Empowerment Act would address this by giving inspectors general the authority to compel testimony from former agency officials, subcontractors, or grantees where that testimony would be relevant to ongoing investigations. Another weakness is that the president can fire these watchdogs and replace them with unqualified or conflicted individuals, exposing the work of these offices to unnecessary political interference. The public and Congress depend on inspectors general to ensure our federal agencies are functioning effectively, but these watchdogs must be confident they will not be fired for doing that job well. As nine former inspectors general recently wrote to Congress, ``Forcing inspectors general to choose between doing their jobs with integrity and keeping their positions is not an acceptable model of governance and oversight.'' The IG Independence and Empowerment Act places reasonable limits on when a president can remove an inspector general and who can serve in the event of a vacancy, and will further insulate the critical oversight offices from politics. There are many other critical reforms in this comprehensive legislation that have been crafted to address problems with inspector general independence and authority long raised by Congress, civil society, and our inspectors general. We strongly urge Congress to pass this legislation to empower our independent watchdogs to serve the public even more effectively. Sincerely, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Common Cause, Demand Progress, Government Accountability Project, Government Information Watch, Mainers for Accountable Leadership, National Security Counselors, Open The Government, Project On Government Oversight (POGO), Protect Democracy, Public Citizen, Stand Up America, Taxpayers for Common Sense, The Digital Democracy Project.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my dear friend and colleague, for having great enthusiasm for oversight and combating waste, fraud, and abuse. I would respectfully offer to him that the best way to conduct that is to give the power to the IGs to conduct legitimate investigations. What we have seen is that when there comes a legitimate investigation, they are often moved aside, fired, or retaliated against. So, I welcome the gentleman's enthusiasm. I hope he will join with me in supporting giving the power to IGs to conduct legitimate investigations of waste, fraud, and abuse. As I said in my opening remarks, for every dollar we spend on IGs, we get back $17, really hundreds of millions of dollars back from their oversight and work. Madam Speaker, I want to remind the gentleman, as he knows from our hearings, there are many provisions in this bill that are bipartisan, several that Mr. Connolly just mentioned that we were working on. I look forward to working with him and passing this bill. It should be bipartisan. Oversight and accountability should be bipartisan. I hope the gentleman joins us in voting for this important bill. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier), the chair of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the Armed Services Committee. She also serves on the Oversight and Reform Committee and is the co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Jackie Speier, for her tremendous work on this bill, and one of the major provisions was a bill of hers that was incorporated into it. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), a newly elected Member from the great State of North Carolina and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. The reforms we are considering today are only one part of the work Congress needs to prevent future Presidents from abusing power. I also strongly support the broad Protecting Our Democracy Act, which Chairman Schiff has spearheaded, and I look forward to that bill's consideration very soon. I do want to say that the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, unlike the description from my good friend and colleague, has held 15 hearings of oversight. They have disclosed and recovered millions of dollars of illegal spending or corrupt spending. There is a hearing tomorrow, which will be the 16th hearing of the committee, and we welcome you to join us at that subcommittee hearing if you so wish. The inspector general community just, in general, has been attacked in recent years. By passing this IG Independence and Empowerment Act, Congress would send a strong message in the strongest terms that no administration, regardless of President or party, can bully or retaliate or act against an IG when the IG is doing their job. They can only be removed for just cause, such as violating the law or gross mismanagement. In passing this legislation, we will be strengthening our democracy, and we will send a strong message that Congress supports accountability and an effective government. I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill. It should be a bipartisan bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 504, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, the amendment offered by Congresswoman Cindy Axne would increase transparency when an inspector general is removed. This amendment would require the President or independent agency head to provide Congress a detailed case-specific explanation when firing an IG. The amendment would also require the President or independent agency head to provide to Congress the findings from an inquiry that led to the IG's removal. These requirements would enhance IG independence in addition to the critical for-cause removal protections already in the bill. The amendment offered by Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux would enhance training requirements for inspectors general. This amendment would ensure that IGs are trained in an important aspect of their oversight work over Federal contractors. The suspension and debarment process provides an essential tool to hold Federal contractors accountable for waste, fraud, and abuse. Federal procurement law and the suspension and debarment processes are highly complex, and it is important that all IGs are well-versed on these issues. This training will help make IGs even more effective and efficient and could lead to more taxpayer savings. The amendment offered by Congressman Troy Carter would ensure IGs are paid at an equitable level with senior staff in their office. Through an unintended consequence in current law, IGs are sometimes paid less than the senior staff in their own offices. This inequity could lead to difficulty in attracting the most qualified people to be IGs. This amendment would add language to current law providing that IGs have to be paid at least the same rate of pay as the highest paid employee in the IG's office. This simple change would help ensure that IGs are paid what they deserve for the critical work they perform. The amendment offered by Congressman Tom Malinowski would balance notification to Congress with the need to address an immediate threat. The base bill would require that the President or an independent agency head would notify Congress at least 30 days before placing an IG on non-duty status. This amendment would make an exception to that requirement if any delay in that placement would mean a threat to people, property, or an ongoing investigation. This amendment would give the President or agency head flexibility in the case of a documented threat, while ensuring Congress is notified of any change to an IG status in advance whenever possible. And, finally, an amendment offered by Congressman Ritchie Torres, which would provide a needed review of all processes to ensure IGs are held accountable. This amendment would require the Government Accountability Office to review existing processes for investigating allegations of IG wrongdoing, including the processes of the CIGIE Integrity Committee. The results of this review would provide Congress with critical information to know how well these processes are working and how to improve them, if needed. IGs provide a critical check on waste, fraud, and abuse in the government, and their own conduct must be above reproach. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt this commonsense package of amendments, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), one of the newest members of our caucus. He serves on the Committees of Transportation and Infrastructure and Small Business.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I support all of the en bloc amendments, including Mr. Carter's, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, this amendment would absolutely gut the bill. The amendment would strike the bill's key protection for inspectors general against political retaliation by eliminating the protection that would only allow an IG to be removed only for a legitimate cause. Not for political retaliation, not because a President doesn't like what they are doing or an investigation that they have started, but only for mismanagement or illegal acts for cause. We saw last year how unlimited authority can be abused when President Trump bullied and retaliated against two IGs who were investigating his administration, including when he fired the State Department IG. These protections are constitutional. Last month, the Independent Congressional Review Service released an analysis of congressional authority to limit the removal of IGs and concluded that for-cause removal restrictions ``appear to be a constitutionally permissible means of encouraging independence for most IGs.'' Madam Speaker, this amendment would also gut the protection in the bill against the appointment of acting IGs with a clear conflict of interest. The amendment would strike a requirement that acting IGs come from an Office of Inspector General. The Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency requested this reform, proposed by Republican Representative Porter, as one of its top legislative priorities in order to ``enhance the independence of OIGs.'' We saw serious abuses during the last administration. In both the Department of Transportation and the Department of State, President Trump named political appointees within the agency to serve as the acting IG overseeing the same agency. Finally, this amendment would strip from the bill an important reform that would allow IGs to issue a subpoena to require individuals outside of the Federal Government to provide testimony, if needed, for an investigation. This has long been a priority for inspectors general to allow thorough and complete investigations. Madam Speaker, multiple IGs have reported that Trump administration officials, including Jeff Sessions, have refused to cooperate with investigations. No Federal employee should be able to simply avoid and escape accountability by leaving government and saying, ``I just no longer will testify or participate in finding the truth.'' These provisions were passed by the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House in 2018, in a Republican-led bill, and contained carefully crafted compromises struck by Chairman Issa and Ranking Member Cummings years ago. Madam Speaker, this legislation provides procedural safeguards to ensure that subpoena authority is not abused and it does not interfere with ongoing investigations. For example, the bill will require an inspector general to obtain the approval of a panel of three other inspectors general in order to issue a subpoena for testimony. A few IGs, including the Department of Defense IG, already have this authority. The language I authored and that the Congress passed on a bipartisan basis, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee was provided testimonial subpoena authority when it was created as part of the CARES Act last Congress. There are many instances of former officials and nongovernment employees avoiding IG interviews going back over a decade. For example, IGs were unable to interview retired agents in the ``Fast and Furious'' investigation, and nongovernment witnesses to the Carter-Page FISA warrant investigation. This has never been a partisan issue before. In fact, the underlying bill had many, many bipartisan pieces. So in a letter to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Department of Justice Inspector General has also come out against this. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, with each passing week, we are seeing the tremendous impact of the American Rescue Plan on our Nation, in New York State, in New York City, and in my own district of New York 12. Included in the American Rescue Plan is the 1-year expansion of the child tax credit. Next month, families will begin to receive credits of up to $300 per month to help with food, to help with rent, to help with the cost of childcare. It is estimated that this funding will cut childhood poverty in half. Let me repeat that. It will cut childhood poverty in half. In my district alone, New York 12, this will help 54,000 children and lift nearly 5,000 children out of poverty. Knowing the impact this tax credit will have on our families, I am asking all of my colleagues to join me in working to make it permanent. When families do well, our Nation does well.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, on June 19, 1865, freedom finally came for the last enslaved African Americans in the United States when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, more than 2 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, 156 years later, President Biden will be signing a law to make Juneteenth a new Federal holiday. It is a cause for celebration. It should also serve as an occasion for learning and for this country to reflect on our history and recommit to doing the vital work to ensure that the lasting effects of slavery, bigotry, and racism are replaced with hope, dignity, and equality for all. We can start with the Senate passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, legislation to reform policing and address systemic racism and bias within law enforcement, and finally making the John Lewis Voting Rights Act a law, passing it. Today, we celebrate this historic designation of Juneteenth as a Federal holiday. Tomorrow, we get back to work.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, I inadvertently missed Roll Call vote number 161 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 3325. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 161.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 256, Congresswoman Lee's legislation to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq. In 2002, Congress voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq based on what would later prove to be false, baseless, and misleading intelligence provided by the Bush administration. A year later, Saddam Hussein was overthrown; a democratic government was established; and, finally, in 2011, a formal declaration of the end of our mission was announced. But 10 years later, this authorization for the use of force remains on the books. We must repeal this 19-year-old authorization that has been used and abused to justify expansive military actions across the globe. If we are serious about preventing forever wars, we must repeal the AUMF and exercise Congress' constitutional authority to declare war and peace. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation. Increasing Corporate Board Diversity

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 1187, the Corporate Governance Improvement and Investor Protection Act, and, specifically, the Meeks-Maloney amendment that we will consider today. We show our priorities by our actions; and, today, we are not just talking about diversity, we are acting to improve diversity in the corporate boardroom. I want to thank Mr. Meeks, the sponsor of this amendment. He and I have worked on this issue a long time together, and I thank him for his leadership. The goal of our amendment, the Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act, is extremely important, increasing diversity on corporate boards. This is something I believe in passionately; and while we have made great progress, we still have a long way to go. Getting more women, minorities, and individuals from historically underrepresented communities into corporate leadership positions is extremely important. Leaders set the tone, and they set the priorities. Back in 2015, I asked the Government Accountability Office to look at the gender makeup of corporate boards, and the results were discouraging, and they convinced me that we need to do more. Women make up roughly 47 percent of the workforce, yet they hold roughly 29 percent of corporate board seats. The GAO found that even if we assume that equal proportions of women and men started joining boards starting right now, it would take more than 40 years for there to be an equal number of women and men in the corporate boardrooms. We can't wait 40 years for parity. Something needs to change. But let's also be clear: Increasing diversity on corporate boards is not just a moral issue; it is good for business, too. Study after study has shown that companies with greater diversity on their boards perform better financially, which is why investors want the companies they invest in to make diversity a priority. In fact, I started working on this bill at the request of investors and investor organizations that wanted to more easily be able to track diversity on boards. This legislation would help investors accomplish this by requiring public companies to report the voluntary, self-identified racial, ethnic, gender identity, and sexual orientation composition of their board members and executive officers in their annual proxy statement. By putting this information in one place for investors, the bill would help investors to quickly sort the companies that do and do not have diverse boards. The legislation would also establish a diversity advisory group at the SEC, which would study strategies to increase diversity on corporate boards because the truth is that making meaningful progress on board diversity is going to require a range of different policies in addition to the improved disclosures in this legislation. The diversity advisory group at the SEC would continue to study these issues and would continue to make recommendations of best policies for the future. I urge my colleagues to support this effort, support this bill, support our amendment, and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1187.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, I rise in strong support of S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. I thank my good friend and colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee, for introducing the House companion bill, H.R. 1320, which has over 170 cosponsors. This bill would establish Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19th, as a Federal holiday. Our Federal holidays are purposefully few in number and recognize the most important milestones in our country's history. I cannot think of a more important milestone to commemorate than the end of slavery in the United States. At the end of the Civil War in 1865, hundreds of thousands of people remained enslaved, despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued nearly 2 years earlier. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order Number 3, which declared that all slaves are free. That is when 250,000 enslaved individuals in Texas finally learned that they were free. The celebration that they held in Galveston on that day is the basis for the Juneteenth celebrations today. Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African-American holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States, and it has been celebrated across the Nation for over 150 years. First known as Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is marked by food, music, and fellowship. These celebrations honor freedom, recognize life, and uplift the complex history and the beautiful culture of the African- American community. Forty-seven States and the District of Columbia have made Juneteenth a public holiday, including my own State of New York. While millions of Americans have celebrated this important day for generations, the Federal Government has failed in its responsibility to recognize its significance. Today, we can change that. It is often said that those who do not remember their past are doomed to repeat it. If we want to confront the sins of slavery and move forward towards a more equitable, fair, and free society, it is incumbent upon us to recognize not only our past evils, but the moments of triumph over those evils. Making Juneteenth a Federal holiday is a crucial step in remembering our past, and it will undoubtedly help us build a better future. I thank Senator Ed Markey for his longtime leadership on this bill. As a result of his hard work, yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed S. 475 to make Juneteenth an official Federal holiday. Democrats and Republicans passed it unanimously. Senator Cornyn, a conservative Republican from Texas, stated: ``The freedom of all Americans that Texas celebrates every Juneteenth should be celebrated all across the Nation. The passage of this bill represents a big step in our Nation's journey toward equality.'' In this time of increasing partisanship, Senator Cornyn's strong support speaks to the importance and urgency of this bill. I also thank again my good friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who has been advocating for Juneteenth to be a Federal holiday for over 12 years. This bill would not be possible without her steadfast support and hard work. It is now our responsibility to swiftly pass this bill and finally enshrine this important celebration in national law. As we strive toward a more perfect Union, it is critical that we acknowledge the national significance of Juneteenth. This day not only honors the past and celebrates the present, but it offers an opportunity to reflect upon ways to create an even more just society. I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this vitally important bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the Democratic whip.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 479, I call up the bill (S. 475) to amend title 5, United States Code, to designate Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal public holiday, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Member have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 475.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the House.