Taxpayer Resources Used in Emergencies Accountability Act
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8466, the Taxpayer Resources Used in Emergencies Accountability Act. I am proud to be co- lead of this legislation with my colleague, Representative Biggs, and I thank him for his work on this issue.
This bill would require Federal agencies to develop internal control plans for future national emergencies. In times of disasters, pandemics, and other crises, it is crucial that the emergency Federal spending reaches the people who need it the most.
Emergency assistance can save small businesses from closing, protect public health, provide people displaced by disasters with housing, and much more.
But, unfortunately, bad actors can take advantage of these situations to commit fraud and steal funds. Every cent that is stolen doesn't reach the Americans who need it. Having an internal control plan will help Federal agencies develop strategies to mitigate those risks.
This is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that will ensure that agencies like FEMA and the Small Business Administration are better prepared for the future. That way we can ensure that emergency funds reach the people who need them quickly.
An effective response to a national emergency starts with advanced planning, and that is what this bill does.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank the sponsor again for co-leading this bill with me.
I will say that I lived in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit the city, and there was a lot of fraud related to the money disbursed there afterwards. This has been a long-standing problem for many decades across Democratic and Republican administrations. I am glad that we are taking steps in a bipartisan way to address this issue to make sure there is less fraud.
These internal control plans, while they don't seem exciting, are very effective. I have done them at private companies, and I think these Federal agencies will benefit from them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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