Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for his leadership on this very important piece of legislation. I also thank the distinguished chairman of our full committee for his leadership in moving this through. The Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2017, I think, fall under the umbrella of good government, which the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, at its best, strives to promote on a bipartisan basis. I am proud, as Mr. Clay indicated, to be an original cosponsor of the bill. We welcome consideration of the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments, which would improve the transparency and accountability of Federal advisory committees, often arcane, Byzantine parts of the government most of the public can't access. This crucial piece of legislation ensures that the selection process of advisory committee members takes place without regard to political affiliation and requires the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. The Federal Advisory Committee Act, FACA, enacted on October 6, 1972, formalized the process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating Federal advisory committees. Federal advisory committees provide a mechanism for government officials to gain knowledge from Federal and non-Federal experts on key policy matters. FACA ensures Federal advisory committees, however, are both transparent and accessible.…”