Mark Meadows

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 898) to authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy Biehl High School Foundation.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 898 would direct the GSA to convey property in New Mexico to the Amy Biehl High School Foundation for fair market value. The Amy Biehl High School is a public charter school that has been using the building since 2006. While the school currently leases the facility from the General Services Administration, the GSA only receives a nominal rent, making it more costly to the taxpayers to maintain the property. In fact, the Amy Biehl Foundation has invested funds to renovate and restore the building for use as a school. The GSA has determined that there is no Federal need for the property, and it has concluded that the cost of managing the building exceeds any revenue. Selling this property for fair market value will ensure that taxpayers receive the best return on the property. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his support of this legislation. I concur with him that, in terms of setting a precedent, that is not something that we want to do. This has a unique set of circumstances in which the county actually had conveyed the property to the Federal Government at no cost. Certainly, I would agree with my colleague opposite that we need to make sure that taxpayers get the best return and that this does not set a precedent. Mr. Speaker, I would urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation on behalf of the American taxpayers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1934) to direct the Administrator of General Services to convey the Clifford P. Hansen Federal Courthouse to Teton County, Wyoming.

Mr. MEADOWS. 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 materials on S. 1934.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Georgia (Mr. Broun), a man who has worked very hard on this particular issue.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 24, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, directs the GAO to conduct a full audit of the Federal Reserve. The Dodd-Frank legislation mandated a GAO audit of the Fed, but that audit issued by the GAO in July of 2011 focused solely on certain issues concerning emergency credit facilities. GAO remains restricted under the current law from conducting a broader audit of the Fed that includes, for instance, a review of the Fed's monetary policy operations and its agreements with foreign governments and central banks. Under this bill, the GAO, as the investigative arm of Congress, is allowed to conduct the audit that reviews all these transactions and is required to report such findings of the audit to Congress. Now, while Congress should not manage the details of monetary policy, it needs to be able to conduct oversight of the Fed. The Fed was created by Congress to be a central bank independent of influence of the U.S. Treasury. It was never intended to be a second Treasury Department. In recent years, the Fed's extraordinary interventions into the economy and financial markets have led some to call into question its independence. The Fed remains ultimately responsible to the American people and their elected representatives. This is why H.R. 24 has strong bipartisan support, with 228 cosponsors on both sides of the aisle. A version of this bill passed the House of Representatives last Congress by a vote of 327-98. I want to thank Chairman Hensarling for working with me to bring this legislation to the floor. I will insert our letters of exchange in the Congressional Record. I encourage and urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, September 12, 2014. Hon. Darrell Issa, Chairman, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Issa: On July 24, 2014, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ordered H.R. 24, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2013, as amended, to be reported favorably to the House. As a result of your having consulted with the Committee on Financial Services concerning provisions of the bill that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to discharge our committee from further consideration of the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action with our mutual understanding that, by foregoing consideration of H.R. 24, as amended, at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. Our committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and requests your support for any such request. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 24, as amended, and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in your committee's report to accompany the legislation and/or in the Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof. Sincerely, Jeb Hensarling, Chairman.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 24) to require a full audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks by the Comptroller General of the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Tonight, we have heard from the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, who not only has authored this legislation but has pushed at every attempt to make sure that we have accountability and transparency. The American people deserve that. When much of the financial crisis was happening in 2008, this very body debated over and over again on whether a stimulus should be put forth to stimulate the economy. At the same time, the Federal Reserve was making investment dollars that made that stimulus package look very small in comparison. Yet we are to assume that, like other government agencies, they are doing everything correctly. We know, as history has shown us, that that is not always the case. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this particular bill--to support transparency, to let the accountability be with the American people. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, at this point, I have no additional people wishing to speak on this particular bill, but I would like to read one statement from Senator Rand Paul. He said: ``It is time for more transparency in virtually every part of our government.'' I think most Americans can agree on that, and the Fed is the most logical place to start. I hope the House passes the ``Audit the Fed'' bill, and I look forward to pushing this bill in the Senate. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5169) to amend title 5, United States Code, to enhance accountability within the Senior Executive Service, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I am willing to close with just a few remarks. Mr. Speaker, perhaps the IRS and the scandals that have been surrounding that are not a big deal to address this piece of legislation. Perhaps a picture of the gentleman in a Las Vegas hot tub is not a reason to address this piece of legislation, but I can tell you that our veterans are, Mr. Speaker. Those facts that have been the headlines for far too long really are at the core of what we are as a body, that we must protect the men and women who have fought so valiantly for our country and for the freedoms. If we cannot hold our senior executives accountable for the sake of our veterans, then what good is there of any law? What we must do, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this for the veterans of our country to make sure that there is more accountability on behalf of American taxpayers so that we, once again, can start to trust our government. With that, I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from the State of Michigan (Mr. Walberg), my distinguished colleague who is the author of this piece of legislation.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Congress looks to the Senior Executive Service, or ``SES'' as we refer to it, to provide leadership so that the government may successfully deliver services to the American people. A 1978 law creating the SES intended it to be an elite corps of leaders serving just below the high-level Presidential appointees. The roughly 8,000 SES members are spread across government agencies and are intended to be that link between the political appointees and agencies' career workforce. In a budget-constrained environment, senior executives must be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars so citizens receive the best value for their money. Unfortunately, the Oversight Committee's investigations have, time and time again, identified SES members embroiled in agency scandals. This has created a need to restore the public confidence by increasing accountability and performance within the government's executive corps. In February of 2012, the committee began investigating allegations that the Internal Revenue Service inappropriately scrutinized certain applicants who were seeking tax-exempt status. Documents and information showed that SES member Lois Lerner, the Director of the IRS' exempt organization unit, was extensively involved in the targeting of conservative groups' tax-exempt organizations while working to maintain a veneer of objective enforcement. In April of 2012, the committee began investigating SES member Jeff Neely for the excessive, wasteful and, in some cases, impermissible waste of taxpayer dollars associated with the GSA conferences, at a luxury resort in Las Vegas. Mr. Neely directed those planning the conference to make it over the top; thus it came as no surprise when photos surfaced of Mr. Neely relaxing in a Las Vegas hot tub on the taxpayers' dime. Senior Executive Servicemembers also chose to conceal problems within the VA health care system. With more than 20 veterans' deaths linked to substandard care, the work of the VA inspector general and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, under Chairman Miller, paints a very disturbing picture. In response to all of this, H.R. 5169 gives agencies the tools to better manage their senior executives. The bill eliminates a provision in the current law that allows an executive removed for performance and placed in a new Federal job to retain their executive salary. I might add that that averages $161,000. The bill makes senior executives subject to suspensions without pay for less than 2 weeks instead of a simple reprimand or admonishment in the same manner as frontline employees would receive. The bill makes senior executives accountable for conduct contrary to the efficiency of the Federal service. The bill extends the probationary period for senior executives from 1 year to 2 years, and, if used properly, that probationary period gives agencies an effective tool to ensure that executives are productive. If executives are not performing in an acceptable level, they will be terminated. The bill ensures that senior executives receive their performance plans--the foundation of accountability for poor and high performance-- at least 30 days in writing before the appraisal cycle begins. Mr. Speaker, following the committee's consideration, we have worked on a bipartisan basis to address the concerns of the minority. First, the bill before the House today reflects the adoption of the amendment offered and withdrawn at the markup of the bill by the Delegate from the District of Columbia and maintains a requirement for agencies to provide 30 days' advanced notice to senior executives facing termination. Second, the bill requires agencies to make a decision on termination and other disciplinary actions within 30 days of receiving the employee's response to that proposed action. Finally, the bill ensures that senior executives fired for misconduct return any salary and leave accrued while on nonduty status. This means that the executive retains his or her avenues to appeal but, in the end, if terminated, is required to make the taxpayer whole. Combined, these changes bring needed accountability to the Federal Government's executive leadership core. I urge the Members of the House to support this measure, joining me in providing agencies additional tools to address instances where senior government officials are engaging in behavior contrary to the principles of public service. I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MEADOWS

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we look at this particular piece of legislation, the real genesis of this came from very troubling testimony that a number of us on both sides of this aisle heard in hearing after hearing. It was not one agency. It has been a plethora of agencies that seem to have communication that is going on, Mr. Speaker, on a regular basis that is not being preserved. Now, part of this is accountability; part of this is historical. Can you imagine what our Founding Fathers would do if they had communicated to one another and never preserved the letter or the communication that had taken place between them? What would our history be? It would be filled with a number of holes. So, from a historical perspective, we have the real duty to require it for our children and our grandchildren to understand what goes on in government. But, from an accountability standpoint, I think that is where most Americans are focusing these days, Mr. Speaker. They don't understand why we continue to lose email after email, while there seems to be hard drive problems at the IRS that transcend all logical comprehension of why so many hard drives would have failed. I have a hard time understanding that as well. Regardless of those issues, if we enact this particular bill--and I thank the ranking member from Maryland because he has, indeed, with his amendment made this bill better. It is stronger, and I thank him for his support. Because when we work together in a bipartisan way to make sure that these records are kept, it not only preserves it for historical purposes, but it starts to build back the foundation, block by block, layer by layer, where the American people can once again trust their government. I think it is time, Mr. Speaker, that we take this act and make it into law. So I encourage my colleagues to support this. I urge them to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5170) to improve Federal employee compliance with the Federal and Presidential recordkeeping requirements, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, compliance with the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act is vital in preserving the history of our government and ensuring its continued transparency. Unfortunately, too frequently of late, Congress has heard examples of agencies and individuals failing to comply with the basic provisions of Federal recordkeeping law. The most recent illustration is the IRS which, according to the Archivist of the United States, failed to follow the law by not disclosing the potential loss of Federal records relating to Lois Lerner. In another instance, the Oversight Committee learned that the then- Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez used his personal email account almost 1,200 times over a 4-year period to conduct official business. We should not tolerate this type of behavior. Democracy requires transparency, Mr. Speaker. The public has a right to know the actions their government takes on their behalf. This principle of a right to know has been enshrined in numerous statutes at the Federal, State, and local levels. These include open meeting laws, Freedom of Information Act processes, and records laws. At the national level, two bedrock transparency laws are the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act. Together, these two laws ensure that our Nation's key documents, whether they be emails, maps, agendas, microfilm, or any other type of media, are preserved, sometimes in perpetuity, as a clear record of the government's operation and decisionmaking process. Unfortunately, in recent weeks, particularly in relation to the events at the IRS surrounding the loss of Lois Lerner's emails, it is clear that records laws are not being followed appropriately by agencies and their employees. The Archivist of the United States in testimony before this committee on June 24 stated that the IRS ``did not follow the law'' in failing to notify him of the potential loss of Federal records of Lois Lerner's hard drive. Records can be lost due to ignorance, inattention, or intentional malice. We should not tolerate any of these excuses, but the intentional destruction of records, Mr. Speaker, in particular, is a criminal act, and Federal employees found to have committed such a crime should be fired. I am pleased that today we are considering the Federal Records Accountability Act of 2014, a bill I was proud to introduce. This commonsense legislation will make a number of reforms to better hold Federal employees accountable to the requirements of the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act. Specifically, the bill creates a process requiring agencies to fire employees who have been found to have ``willfully and unlawfully'' altered, removed, or destroyed a Federal record. The bill bars Federal employees from using nonofficial emails and other electronic messaging accounts to conduct official business, unless that communication is disclosed in full within 15 days to the government. Failure to do so would be considered a ``willful and unlawful'' destruction of Federal records and subject the employee to termination. Mr. Speaker, additionally, the legislation will require agencies to disclose on their Web site notices indicating an actual, impending, or threatened loss of Federal records. This expands the current law mandate that agencies only inform the Archivist, the mandate recently ignored by the IRS. This bill also requires agencies to appoint or reconfirm a senior agency official for records management. This individual would be responsible for ensuring full agency compliance with records laws, and Congress will be able to hold them directly accountable for noncompliance. Additionally, thanks to an amendment from my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Cummings, this bill will require agencies to preserve their electronic records in an electronic format. This reform will end the absurd and yet all too common practice in which agencies require emails and other electronic records to be manually printed out for long-term storage and instead save them on a hard drive. Finally, thanks to efforts by Ms. Speier and Mr. DeSantis, the bill will require agencies to automatically capture all official emails, instant messages, tweets, and other electronic communications by senior agency officials, their assistants, and other officials likely to come into regular digital contact with a large number of Federal records. This process will dramatically improve transparency at the most senior levels of government by starting with the presumption that electronic messages are Federal records instead of the current process under which officials self-select what constitutes a record. Collectively, the reforms in H.R. 5170 will send a powerful message that transparency and faithful recordkeeping are priorities of our government. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.