Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4693, the Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act.

The Tennessee Valley Authority controls a vital part of east Tennesseans' lives. It controls how they get energy, Mr. Speaker. If my constituents are going to rely on TVA every day, they deserve to know how TVA is spending its money. They deserve to know with certainty that TVA is doing right by them.

My first bill in Congress focused on transparency in TVA and, dadgummit, I have been proud to partner with my friend, Congressman Steve Cohen, on several bills over the past few years on that very issue.

This bill, the Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act, would make sure the public has access to information about the salaries of employees at TVA. If government money flows into it, Mr. Speaker, we ought to know what they are paying and who they are paying. These are the GS-15 level or above. My constituents and all the Tennessee Valley should know exactly what the high earners at TVA are really making.

Transparency has been a problem for TVA in the past, but it has been getting better recently. I want to make sure that that pattern continues. This bill will help make that happen.

The Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act will help Congress keep TVA accountable for how it pays its employees, which is an important part of preserving the public trust.

I thank my friend and colleague, Steve Cohen, for his hard work. When I think of Memphis, I think of barbecue, Stax Records, Elvis, Al Green, and Steve Cohen. I thank him for working with me on this bill, and I strongly encourage all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

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