Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020
Floor Speech
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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of amendment No. 267 and in support of H.R. 3055, legislation that includes robust funding for the Department of Transportation.
Simply put, H.R. 3055 will bolster our infrastructure and increase the safety and security for citizens across the country, and I am proud to support it. But, Mr. Chair, when we use billions of dollars in taxpayer money to invest in our infrastructure, our constituents are relying on us to do so in a manner that is fair, transparent, and ethical.
That is why I am introducing, today, amendment No. 267, which would prohibit any funding in the appropriations bill from being used in violation of section 2635.702 of title 5, which is the law mandating that no public office be used for private gain.
In light of recent reporting alleging potential misconduct by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, it is imperative that we remind Federal officials that public money cannot be used for private purposes. Government officials across agencies should not make policy decisions with the intent of benefiting family businesses. They should never use their position in an official capacity to promote their own personal financial interests, and when tasked with any decision where there are potential conflicts of interest, they must recuse themselves.
Government officials should make decisions only for the public good, not private gain. Favoritism corrodes trust in government and in the vital institutions that have kept our democracy strong for over 200 years. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chair, I have no further speakers, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment because we must operate in the public interest, not for private gain, as Federal employees and people in trust in the Federal Government.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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