Protecting Our Democracy Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my two amendments in this en bloc package.

The alleged purpose of this bill is to ``protect our democracy by preventing abuses of Presidential power, restoring checks and balances and accountability and transparency in government.''

My amendments, in fact, do exactly that and would create an office of inspector general, IG, at the Office of Management and Budget, OMB.

Pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, this independent, nonpartisan inspector general would prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse at OMB.

The underlying bill is a Democrat attempt to relitigate yesterday's issues. But today, Americans are being assailed from all sides. They are facing a Democrat President on a spending binge that is tearing this country apart. Inflation sits at a 30-year high. Gas prices are skyrocketing out of control, and now an even more reckless socialist and amnesty agenda is in the works.

My two amendments will truly bring accountability and transparency to the executive branch and protect the statutory authorities of Congress.

Last week, news broke that 40 percent or more of the $700 billion spent on unemployment benefits for COVID-19 relief went to fraud. That is nearly the size of the defense budget. An IG at OMB would be able to root out this kind of fraud, waste, and abuse and save taxpayers' dollars. The Biden administration should welcome having an OMB inspector general with the same enthusiasm they talk about transparency and accountability.

My second amendment will help protect the rights of the minority and allow the Oversight and Reform Committee to easily acquire documents from the executive branch so that we can uphold true oversight.

I look forward to working with the majority to obtain the information required by law from the administration pursuant to these Rule of 7 requests. I appreciate that Democrats agree on some level that we need rigorous oversight of the executive branch.

My only question is: Where have they been for the last 11 months?

I am also profoundly disappointed that Democrats chose to load up this en bloc package with amendments that entrench bureaucracy, hamstring Presidential appointments, and micromanage Presidential powers. This bill is supposed to restore transparency and accountability, but many of the amendments in this package move it in the opposite direction.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), who is the distinguished chair of the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

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