Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1468, as the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia indicated, helps to restore the SEC's leasing authority back to the confines of the General Services Administration. It ensures that we have a uniform approach to leasing space in Federal agencies. I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for her perseverance on this bill. I know this has been a priority of hers for a very long period of time. But I want to give you a little bit of background. In 2012, the SEC leased approximately 1.4 million square feet of office space for $566 million. I want to say that again. The SEC leased 1.4 million square feet of office space for $566 million, in violation of the law. They exceeded their authority when they entered into this lease. When there was Republican leadership, there was an investigation that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure did over the SEC's actions. The SEC Inspector General similarly commissioned an investigation. The conclusion of these investigations found that not only did the Securities and Exchange Commission exceed their authority in that lease, but this was a trend. They had a history of mismanagement of their leasing authority. Unfortunately, recent actions by the SEC during the GSA's procurement of leased space for the SEC indicates that they may be returning back to their old ways.…”