Duncan Urges Greater Oversight of Federal Relief and Recovery Funds Before Leading Delegation to the Region

Duncan Urges Greater Oversight of Federal Relief and Recovery Funds Before Leading Delegation to the Region
September 30, 2005

Washington, D.C. - Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr., (R-Tenn.) has issued the following statement concerning Congressional oversight of federal funds assisting relief and recovery efforts in the Gulf area. Duncan will lead a Congressional delegation to the region Tuesday, October 4:

"Congress responded quickly to the Gulf region's needs by voting to send over $62 billion in federal assistance to the area. FEMA now has many billions just sitting in its accounts, however, and the agency does not seem to know how it will spend such a large amount of money.

"I will not support sending any more money to the Gulf until I feel confident that the federal government is exercising enough oversight on how the $62 billion we have already committed is spent. Money has begun gushing into the area at a rate that is much too fast.

"I will not vote to send any more money down there until we make absolutely certain it is not being spent in a scandalous or wasteful way.

"Congress must work closely with the President to ensure American taxpayers are protected from anyone who would use this tragedy to benefit themselves through fraud or any other means that results in reckless federal spending.

"Our national deficit is nearly $8 trillion, yet we continue to run budget deficits that equal several hundred billion dollars each year. At a time when we desperately need more fiscally conservative policies, I do not believe we can afford to see even one taxpayer dollar wasted in any scandals, and I am afraid that is now possible in the Gulf because the amount of money we are discussing is so huge.

"No other country in the world could have responded to a natural disaster the way this country has at both the private and public levels. As a result, I will support efforts to end FEMA's practice of awarding no-bid contracts, work with those trying strengthen federal oversight in the Gulf region, and make every effort to see that each dollar is spent wisely."

http://www.house.gov/duncan/2005/pr093005.htm