Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this is a lot of money that we are talking about. But it is not just the volumes of money; it is the velocity with which we are spending money over these last 2 years. Yes, the coronavirus is terrible. Yes, the American economy needed some help. But we passed the big American Rescue Plan in February, and the States and municipalities, as of this date, have spent 2.5 percent of that money. I am also on the Energy and Commerce Committee. We are one of the principal authorizing committees in the United States House of Representatives. Have we had a single hearing on how much money we have pushed out to the healthcare sector, to the States, to the municipalities? No, we have not. Have we had a single hearing of what is likely to be required going forward? The answer is: No, we have not. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter I penned to Frank Pallone, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, asking him can we please do just a modicum of the oversight that we are required to do in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, October 7, 2021. Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman, Energy and Commerce Committee, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Pallone: I urge you to hold a hearing on the implementation of the American Rescue Plan, so that we may fulfil the oversight responsibilities of the Energy and Commerce Committee.…”