Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, which I have worked on along with my House Oversight and Reform Committee colleague, Congressman Mike Quigley.

This bill will help modernize Congress and expand the legislative branch's oversight over the executive branch.

Every year, Federal agencies prepare and submit thousands of in-depth reports to various congressional committees. These reports cover topics such as the implementation status of new agency programs or legal requirements in recently passed laws.

They also cover the ongoing effort of the Federal Government to address waste, fraud, and abuse as well as policy priorities like our Nation's financial stability, cybersecurity, homeland security, and public health readiness.

In short, congressionally mandated reports are a key part of how the United States Congress fulfills its Article I oversight duties over the executive branch.

Beyond holding hearings and passing laws, the legislative branch mandates that executive branch agencies report to the House and Senate on their activities and compliance with the law.

As representatives in the House, we have an obligation to the American people to maintain constant visibility into the executive branch. And congressionally mandated reports are one of our most useful, daily oversight tools.

However, there is a problem. Congress lacks a central inventory of the reports we require Federal agencies to send us. This makes it hard to know for certain if agencies are fulfilling their legal reporting obligations or for new congressional Members and staff to find reports from previous years.

Additionally, the American public has little to no access to these valuable reports, which contain key insights into agency programs and missions that directly affect them.

H.R. 2485 is the solution we need. With the bill's establishment of a single website at the Government Publishing Office we will be able to find the reports we need when we need them.

A fully searchable inventory of these reports makes complete sense in the modern world. This new portal will enable each and every House Member and staffer to do their job on behalf of the American people they represent.

After all, American taxpayer dollars are funding the preparation of these reports as well as the agency activities they report on.

And for sensitive reports containing classified information, there are protections to ensure that only the proper congressional committees will be able to access such reports.

Again, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Mike Quigley, for working with me to improve and reintroduce this government-wide transparency bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2485.

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