Issue Position: Government Transparency and Accountability

Issue Position

I am actively involved in making Congress more responsible, and more responsive, to the people it serves.

One of the very first votes I cast when I took office on January 5, 2011 was in favor of a 5% cut for House Members' administrative budgets. Later in the year, I voted for a second cut to House Members' administrative budgets of another 6.4%, thus totaling an 11.4% reduction. All levels of the federal government must learn to do more with less funding, and I believe the House should lead by example. While the total tax dollars saved by these votes are only a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of spending Congress must cut, it signifies that a new day had arrived on Capitol Hill.

On January 5, 2011, I also voted for a new rules package to increase transparency in how the House operates. Under the new rules:

-every bill or joint resolution must be accompanied by a statement citing its constitutionality;

-every bill must be available for Members to review three calendar days before it can be voted on;

-markups of bills must be made public 24 hours before a vote;

-all new mandatory spending bills must be offset with cuts elsewhere in the budget.

Additional Legislative Action:

Cosponsored H.R. 1148, the STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act)

The STOCK Act would prohibit Members of Congress, employees of Congress, and all federal employees from using "any nonpublic information derived from the individual's position as a Member of Congress or employee of Congress, or gained from performance of the individual's duties, for personal benefit."
S. 2038, the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act was approved by the House on February 9, 2012 in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 417 to 2

Sponsored H.R. 3262, the Government Results Transparency Act (GRTA)

In 1993, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), which requires Federal agencies to track and publish their performance results. Congress amended GPRA in 2010 to also require every agency to publicly list all of its programs and explain how the programs contribute to overall goals. But these laws do not require program-by-program performance data to be tracked against program-by-program spending data.

In 2011, I introduced the Government Results Transparency Act. The Government Results Transparency Act (GRTA) would build a bridge between performance data and spending data. Under GRTA, the government will finally be able to publish all of its performance data and spending data for each program on a public website in a format that makes it easy for anyone to search, download and analyze.

H.R. 3262 was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on October 26, 2011. On November 3, 2011, committee consideration and a mark-up session was held where it passed by a voice vote. The legislation now awaits action by the full House of Representatives at the will of the Speaker.
Sponsored the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act and co-sponsored H.R. 114, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act of 2011

Both pieces of legilation would change the federal budget to cover two years instead of one. Twenty state budgets, including New Hampshire's, are biennial. That approach would both save tax money and let Congress improve its oversight and make sure your tax dollars are being spent wisely. You can read more about H.R. 3557, the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act by clicking here.
I wrote a joint op'ed with the House Budget Chairman after introducing H.R. 3577, the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act. Click here to read the op'ed.
Cosponsored H.R. 431, to eliminate automatic pay raises for Members of Congress

It has been two decades since these automatic pay increases were implemented and I am proud to join in on the effort to repeal this process and change the way Washington does business.

Voted for H.R. 3835, to extend the pay freeze for Members of Congress' and federal employees' pay

Would save taxpayers $26.2 billion dollars.

The House approved the bill in a vote of 309 to 117.

Cosponsored H. Res. 509, which disapproves of the President's appointment of Richard Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three individuals to the National Labor Relations Board

While recess appointments are within the President's power, the appointments in question were made while the Senate was in pro forma session and the House had not consented to a Senate adjournment. Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution clearly states that "Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting." I have cosponsored this resolution because I am deeply concerned with the President's decision to circumvent the U.S. Senate and not permitting them to perform their Constitutional obligation, to provide the president with advice and consent."

Cosponsored and voted for H.R. 10, The Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act

The Constitution charges Congress with all legislative powers. Unfortunately, excessive delegation of that power to the Executive Branch has created a lack of accountability in Congress for many of the most burdensome federal regulations facing our job creators, local towns and families. Since many regulations are often written and updated years after laws are passed, many current Members of Congress are never required to support, oppose, or otherwise contribute to major federal regulations finalized under their watch.

The REINS Act requires that Congress must affirmatively approve every new MAJOR rule proposed by the Executive Branch before it can be enforced on the American people.

Passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 241 - 184 on December 7, 2011.
Cosponsored and voted for H.J. Res. 2, A Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution

H.J. Res. 2 would amend the Constitution to prohibit federal spending in any fiscal year from exceeding receipts for that year. The balanced budget requirement could be waived in a given year if three-fifths of both chambers approve a law to allow spending to exceed revenues. In addition, the amendment would require a vote of three-fifths of both chambers to increase the statutory debt limit. The language in that bill was the same as an earlier Balanced Budget Amendment that passed the House of Representatives in 1995 with 300 votes from Republicans and Democrats alike. On November 18, 2011, although I voted in favor, H.J. Res. 2 failed to receive the two-thirds necessary to pass; the final vote was 261 to 165.

Rest assured, I am actively committed to making the House more fiscally responsible, open and accessible, and accountable to all Americans.

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