Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), my very good friend from Memphis, Tennessee, the home of Al Green.

We had a lot of good times in the State senate. We brought some famous people to the floor, such as our dear friend Steve Cropper, who is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Some of his guitars are in the Smithsonian. There were many others, Isaac Hayes.

Steve and I actually sang the theme from ``Shaft'' on the senate floor. I am sure somebody will dig for that, and hopefully, that has been erased from history.

We brought Isaac Hayes. I almost forgot about Isaac. We had a great relationship with those folks.

People often ask me why I am friends with Congressman Cohen. He is probably my oldest friend up here, truth be known. He is correct that we did sponsor a bill to raise the speed limit. I think I asked for 85, knowing we would take 70, in the house.

In the week prior to that, I had actually brought Peyton Manning to the house floor, and I think I could have probably passed communism and gotten 100 miles an hour if I wanted to that week because that was the most popular I had ever been in the legislature.

Truth be known, the reason I am such good friends with Steve Cohen is I lost my daddy years ago, and my dad was my hero. He really was. He and my mama were exceptional people.

Steve was the first person to call my mama and offer his condolences. I always remembered we were at the graveyard working and trying to get the site at the veterans cemetery, and I remember mama said: Oh, Steve, you shouldn't have called. This is costing you money.

I will never forget that. That was my sweet mama. She loved Steve. She prayed for Steve. I don't know if it did any good, Mr. Speaker. I know it doesn't have anything to do about the bill, but I just think America needs to know about these things.

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Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, yes, he is.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the TVA Salary Transparency Act.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is an American public power company providing electricity to over 10 million people in Tennessee and six surrounding States. TVA employs over 10,000 people, some of whom make millions of dollars per year. That is millions, Mr. Speaker, and this is in Tennessee.

Tennesseans deserve to know how TVA operates and compensates their executives, especially when TVA covers a region that is 65,000 square miles and the compensation is to the tune of millions of dollars.

There is no such thing as too much transparency, and I hope our friends in the media cover this. The TVA Salary Transparency Act requires TVA to report to Congress on the salaries of employees making more than $123,000 annually or the highest pay rate available for Federal employees. Specifically, TVA must report on those employees' names, salaries, and job responsibilities.

I have continuously advocated for greater transparency from TVA in other areas as a State legislator, as mayor, and now as a Congressman. Passing this bill is a step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Representative Cohen for his work on this bill, and I ask my colleagues to support this bill. It will provide transparency to the millions of folks who rely on the Tennessee Valley Authority.

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