Pete Sessions

I want to make sure we get closer on this understanding about CDBG money and the things that would flow.

It is important that the dollars that we give you, however, equally are tracked, known, and understood.

I thank the chairwoman for the time, and I appreciate the gentleman from California standing in support of this bill, H.R. 2622. In fact, this was a bipartisan agreement that we came to. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), and…

It is not the customer; it is the oversight.

I am concerned about rule of law. I am concerned about the deaths.

I view that this Department is failing to protect this country, which is its core mission.

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. And Chairman Comer, I want to thank you for your not only meeting with at least Republicans before this hearing, but expressing your confidence that you believe that we could have a thoughtful meeting…

It would make sense not to rely on self-certification in the future, and yet the Biden Administration is proposing to allow applicants for student loan forgiveness to self-certify for this benefit.

This is an embarrassment, in my opinion, and I think the opinion of most people where I represent in Texas, that we are encouraging this behavior.

Mr. Chairman, thank you very much, and I want to thank our witness for being here and the conversation that she is having with the Committee.

I feel like a heist has taken place, and nobody knows who that masked man was that rode off into the sunset.

The purpose of this hearing is to begin this face-to-face investigation by the IG.

It seems like we have gotten off into equity and diversity and all these other matters. I would like to, if I can, go a little bit higher and go to the challenges of politically driven agendas.

I hope that you will expect the same from Mr. Connolly, Mr. Mfume, and myself because we intend to deliver that on behalf of the American people.

I believe the first nine months with the self-certification went unchecked, and that had a lot to do with a lot of the fraud.

On the other hand, Congress and the Biden Administration took decisive action to identify improper payments and to combat fraud.

Unfortunately, what we have seen previously failed to implement the safeguards that we in the Congress explicitly designed by statute, which exacerbated, in my opinion, the pandemic fraud.

Congress acted swiftly to provide expanded unemployment benefits to workers.

Though we may differ sometimes in terms of our strategies and our programs, I believe that the Chair and I are seriously committed to serving the constituencies to the best of our abilities.

The Federal Government is not at work. The Federal Government is not producing the results that we think would be necessary.

This is not an attack against a group of people who worked for the government.

Thank you very much, and my thanks to both of you for your service, not only to the country, but your continued diligence to making sure that the American people have soundness in those that represent us in key decisionmaking roles.

I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, tonight, we join Texans back home in a day of celebration for the State of Texas. The State of Texas, as you have heard, began its formation not just at the Alamo but as people…

Mr. Sessions. I would like to be recorded as a no vote.

God bless Elon Musk because I think I feel that way.