WASHINGTON-Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) delivered remarks during the House of Representatives’ consideration of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act (S. 475). In his remarks, he voiced support for this bill celebrating the emancipation of African Americans in the United States but expressed concern it was not considered under regular order to consider the effects of granting the federal workforce another day off work.
Below are Ranking Member Comer’s remarks as prepared for delivery.
Juneteenth is an important day, and remembering and celebrating the emancipation of African Americans in the United States is certainly worthy of commemoration.
All Americans should celebrate our fights for freedom.
It is a fitting tribute-first celebrated in the State of Texas-to commemorate the day in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was recognized in that state.
I plan to vote in favor of this Senate bill.
However, I would be remiss if I did not discuss the procedure leading up to consideration of this legislation.
Mere hours ago, the Committee on Oversight and Reform, which has jurisdiction over federal holidays and the federal workforce, learned that this legislation would be taken up today.
Our Committee’s job is to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the executive branch agencies.
Unfortunately, we have not had ample time to consider the effects of granting the entire federal workforce another day off work.
We do not know what effect, if any, this bill will have on federal programs and missions that our government delivers to the American taxpayer each day.
For instance, due to the rushed process we do not yet have an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office of how much this bill will cost.
According to 2014 analysis by President Obama’s Office of Management and Budget, it cost federal taxpayers $660 million in payroll and holiday premium costs when federal employees were given an extra holiday on the day after Christmas that year by Executive Order.
Because we are not following regular order ̶ which would have included a legislative hearing and Committee markup ̶ we do not fully understand the impacts of this new federal holiday and the true costs of lost productivity.
Nevertheless, I thank my colleagues for the time to speak on this historical legislation and I reserve the balance of my time.
