WASHINGTON-House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) opened today’s hearing on the Democrats’ bill to dramatically expand federal paid leave by chastising Democrats for their hypocrisy. Democrats entitled this hearing “Leading by Example," yet held today’s hearing remotely regardless of the fact the science indicates it’s safe to conduct business in-person.
Ranking Member Comer also called out Democrats’ distorted priorities seeking to further enhance benefits for federal bureaucrats while ignoring the committee’s mission to identify and prevent government waste, fraud, and abuse. Democrats have ignored urgent requests from Republicans to hold hearings on government mismanagement, including President Biden’s border crisis, reopening America’s public schools, rampant unemployment fraud, the IRS leaking Americans’ sensitive tax documents, and more.
Below are the remarks as prepared for delivery.
Today’s hearing ironically is titled “Leading by Example," but this committee is holding the hearing remotely when we could walk down the hallway and meet in-person to conduct committee business, just like Judiciary did last night, which is next door to the Oversight Committee.
Americans across the country are going back to work. D.C. restaurants are open at full capacity. Cases have dramatically dropped across the nation. And Members of Congress can all gather on the House floor at the same time.
But this committee under Democrat leadership refuses to meet in-person to do its work and instead hides behind computer screens. This goes against science. It goes against common sense. And this is not leading by example.
Madam Chair, it’s past time for the committee to work in-person, like just about every other committee in Washington. We do better work in person. We must lead by example and get back to normal operations, just like most Americans are expected to do.
Moving on to today’s hearing, Oversight Democrats have called a hearing on enhanced work perks for federal bureaucrats.
That’s right. More benefits for federal employees who already enjoy job security and a lavish set of benefits not afforded to most American workers. This follows the Biden Administration’s recent announcement delaying the federal workforce’s return to the workplace, despite most Americans being expected to show up for work.
Meanwhile, hardworking Americans across the country are still recovering from the economic impacts of Democrat lockdowns and our nation is facing many crises due to President Biden’s disastrous policies.
The Oversight Committee’s time would be better spent focused on our committee’s mission of identifying and preventing government waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement, and ensuring the government is transparent and accountable to the American people.
Unlike Democrats, Republicans have been focused on fulfilling our committee’s mission.
On Feb. 11, 133 days ago, Republicans called for a hearing on massive unemployment fraud in California where benefits were sent to murderers on death row, deceased individuals, and organized crime members in China and Russia. Chairwoman Maloney refused to hold a hearing on this gross mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.
And now? It’s reported that $400 billion in pandemic-assistance unemployment benefits were stolen, with as much as half of the funds going to international criminal organizations. Last week, Republicans called for a hearing on the “heist of the century," but the Chairwoman has not responded to our hearing request.
On Feb. 24, 124 days ago, Republicans called on Chairwoman Maloney to compel New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to testify under oath regarding his deadly order sending COVID-positive patients to nursing homes and his subsequent cover-up.
This is a gross abuse of power and Governor Cuomo must be held accountable for his actions that resulted in the deaths of thousands of senior citizens. But have Democrats subpoenaed Governor Cuomo, let alone call a hearing on this issue? No.
On Feb. 25, 123 days ago, Republicans called for a hearing on reopening America’s public schools. Ongoing virtual school has harmed students’ well-being. Failing grades, mental health issues, and suicides are up across the board.
Since we called for a hearing, we’ve learned that President Biden’s CDC allowed a radical teachers union to interfere in its scientific guidance, effectively recommending 90 percent of schools remain shuttered.
Now that the school year has ended, only about half of public schools finished up the school year fully in person. Have Democrats held a hearing on this pressing issue which threatens to set back a generation of kids? No.
On March 4, 112 days ago, Republicans called on Democrats to hold a hearing on President Biden’s border crisis. We’ve renewed our request two additional times since then.
Since President Biden assumed office, masses of children have been held in overcrowded facilities during a pandemic and past the legal timeframe, apprehensions at the southwest border are at a 21-year high, the human smuggling industry is booming, and deadly drugs like fentanyl are pouring across the border.
This is the very definition of government mismanagement and is ripe for congressional oversight. The Democrats held multiple hearings on conditions at the border and conducted several site visits to border facilities during the previous administration. But now that a Democrat occupies the White House? Crickets.
On April 26, 59 days ago, Republicans called for a hearing on Mayor Bowser’s solitary confinement of D.C. inmates. Under the excuse of pandemic precautions, inmates essentially have been held in universal solitary confinement as they are confined to their cells for 23 hours a day.
This has resulted in severe effects on the inmates, including many sleeping at odd hours of the day, talking to themselves, others growing extensive beards and hair because the barber shop closed.
This government abuse should be investigated, especially since it’s happening in the District, which is under this committee’s jurisdiction. But Democrats have failed to address this issue.
On May 24, Republicans called for an investigation into the Wuhan lab leak. There is evidence Communist China started the pandemic, covered it up, and is responsible for the deaths of almost 600,000 Americans and millions more worldwide.
These questions are not a diversion as Speaker Pelosi has stated-they get to truth and accountability. And what is the Democrats’ response? They are too busy investigating the Trump Administration to hold Communist China accountable.
And last week, Republicans called for a hearing on the massive leak of sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS. This Committee has a history of conducting strong oversight over government officials at the IRS who abused their position for political gain while thwarting Congressional accountability and oversight.
This Committee must convene a hearing with Biden Administration officials to understand who is responsible for these leaks of sensitive tax information. We must also determine what efforts, if any, the Administration is taking to prevent this from ever happening again. We are awaiting a response from the distinguished Chairwoman.
Madam Chair, it’s past time for the committee to get back to its primary mission.
We’ve already dramatically expanded paid leave for the federal workforce. Today’s hearing to consider expanding paid leave even further for federal workers shows Democrats’ priorities are incredibly distorted.
The American people are concerned about the ongoing border crisis, abuses of power in government, getting their kids back to school, and the rising cost of goods and services.
We need to put the American people first - not the special interests of federal bureaucrats.
