NW Kentucky News

The House of Representatives has passed five bills designed to enhance efficiency, transparency, accountability, and security within the federal government. These bills had previously received broad bipartisan support in the Oversight Committee.

James Comer, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, expressed his approval: "The House of Representatives has advanced several bipartisan bills to make the federal government more efficient and effective for the American people. These bills provide better stewardship of American taxpayers’ money by modernizing, streamlining, and securing government operations and projects. They also deliver more transparency and accountability, both of which the American people demand and deserve from the federal government. The House Oversight Committee will continue to advance solutions to ensure Americans’ investment in their government is spent effectively, efficiently, and transparently."

Among the legislation passed is the Federal Acquisition Security Council Improvement Act of 2024 (H.R. 9597), introduced by James Comer along with other committee members. This bill aims to protect the federal supply chain by excluding entities owned or controlled by foreign adversaries from procurement processes or removing them from federal information systems.

The Federal Register Modernization Act (H.R. 9592), proposed by Representatives Clay Higgins and Gerry Connolly, seeks to improve efficiency by allowing the Government Publishing Office to publish documents online rather than using paper. It also facilitates document transmission to the National Archives while ensuring backup copies are stored securely.

Another bill, known as the Value Over Cost Act (H.R. 9596), introduced by Byron Donalds and Jared Moskowitz, allows for greater contractual flexibility in federal procurement processes by considering factors beyond just cost.

Additionally, the Eliminate Useless Reports Act (H.R. 5301) was passed with support from Robert Garcia and Glenn Grothman. This act requires agencies to reduce duplicative or outdated reports in their budget justification documents.

Finally, S. 1510 or GAO Inspector General Parity Act was approved to give more independence to the Government Accountability Office Inspector General through various reforms aimed at enhancing oversight capabilities.