Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 788.

First of all, we should ask what good governance looks like. I know that in the House of Representatives today, perhaps we are not reflective of good governance, but good governance, I would say, should include transparency. It should also include, I think, fairness, rule of law, and defending the Constitution, to which we all have sworn an oath.

Article I, Section 9 in the Constitution says what? No money should be removed from the Treasury unless by consequence of appropriations by law. It is in the Constitution.

Let me share a story about when I was Secretary. It is called sue, settle, and seal. I am sure that my good friend, the gentleman from New York, is aware of it.

Let's say an administration writes a rule that is somewhat flawed. Let's say the administration invites a lawsuit from, let's say, the Center for Biological Diversity or other nonprofits. Let's say that department then decides to settle. On what conditions? Those conditions are met by the Department of Justice and not the Department of the Interior in this example. They are settled, and then the final act is that they seal them.

In one case, I asked the President of the United States, which would be President Trump, I said: Mr. President, I have serious concerns about the conditions of this settlement. I would like you to ask the Attorney General to allow the Secretary of the Interior to view those.

The President's answer was: I don't have the authority.

Then, I asked Congress: Mr. Speaker, you have the power of the purse by the Constitution. I would like you, sir, to tell me the conditions of the settlement. Follow the money. Where did the money go?

His answer was: I don't have the authority.

When neither the President of the United States, the executive, nor the House of Representatives, which controls the purse, have the authority to look at sue, settle, and seal, something is wrong. That is what is called corruption.

All of this should attain to the same thing--transparency. Furthermore, whose money is it? I have heard today it is the Federal Government's money. It is not. The government does not have the money. It is the taxpayers'. It is the citizens of this great Nation whose money we allocate and, by Constitution, we appropriate.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of this bill, and I thank the great gentleman from Texas for bringing it forward.

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