Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 300, the Settlement Agreement Information Database Act. Transparency and public participation are vital to ensure the public's continued trust in our government. Federal agencies frequently use settlement agreements to resolve litigation without going through lengthy public trials. However, it is impossible for Congress and the public to determine the impact these settlement agreements have on State and local governments and private-sector entities because they must continue to follow the agency requirements these agreements mandate. Such secret negotiations and agreements essentially prevent the public from participating in important policy decisions. These Federal settlements agreements impose a tremendous burden. They are often difficult to see and hard to understand. Further, State and local governments, industry stakeholders, and taxpayers can be directly affected by the settlements for years, yet they can't provide input. This legislation seeks to correct that problem. The Settlement Agreement Information Database Act, or SAID Act, requires Federal agencies to submit information regarding consent decrees and settlement agreements to a public electronic database.…”