the Full Committee to consider the following: 1) H.R. 7274

...Communist Party. I urge my colleagues again to support this necessary and timely national security reform legislation which passed the committee in a nearly identical form last Congress. I now recognize the ranking member for his opening statement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I support this bill as well. This bill would strengthen and improve the council which oversees supply chain security for the federal government. It will help us identify and exclude risky products or dangerous companies from the federal supply. And through a fair and rigorous process, of course, involving both Congress and the executive branch, it's a good bipartisan bill. The bill will protect our national security by keeping companies with links to hostile governments, those who steal our technology and illegal activity out of our supply chain while ensuring that we don't overreach or target companies unfairly with due process procedures. I'd like to thank the sponsors of this bill. It's bipartisan and we support that. I yield back the balance of my time.

The ranking member yields back. I now recognize the sponsor of the bill, Representative Timmons from South Carolina.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to my friend and counterpart on the Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, Mr. Subramanyam, for co-leading this important piece of legislation. As new technologies continue to transform the way the federal government delivers services and provides for our national defense, it is essential that we proactively, continually, and thoroughly counter efforts from malicious foreign actors like China that aim to infiltrate and exploit our information technology and communications equipment. Recognizing this, Congress created the Federal Acquisition Security Council, or FASC, in 2018 to coordinate how agencies respond to supply chain threats. However, over the past several years, Congress has had to step in multiple times to block agencies from buying or using risky technologies such as Huawei during 5G implementation. Those actions have been necessary, but they have also shown that our current process is not working. When Congress is the faster option, the status quo must be cumbersome and fragmented, which is why my bill, the Federal Acquisition Security Council Improvement Act, enhances the authorities and operational support to ensure that it can achieve its mission. In doing so, the bill requires establishment of a program office within the Executive Office of the President to provide operational, legal, and policy support. The bill also ensures that it's reactive and accountable to investigating new threats by creating a streamlined process for Congress to designate sources of concern and requires investigation into these congressionally designated sources. Last Congress, a nearly identical bill passed unanimously and later passed the House with bipartisan support. My hope is to continue this bipartisan work to enable the executive branch to promptly act to protect the federal supply chain and agency information systems from nefarious technology influenced by a foreign adversary. I want to again thank Chairman Comer for including this consequential reform in the markup today and thank my colleague Mr. Subramanyam for his participation, for his partnership. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Federal Acquisition Security Council Improvement Act, and with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you.

Thank you. Chair now recognizes Mr. Subramanyam, the Democrat sponsor of the bill.

Thank you. Yes, and I too want to speak in support of H.R. 7274. I want to thank Congressman Timmons for introducing this bill and for his leadership. Foreign adversary influence in our information and communication technology systems are a huge risk, a huge risk, and unfortunately, we don't often see the vulnerabilities until it's too late. And so the FASC performs a critical role in protecting national security by removing high-risk vendors and products from the supply chain and stopping crises before they happen. This bill strengthens the FASC by moving it to the Executive Office of the President and establishing a program office to support their operations and broadening their authorities. I think this is really necessary and this is a bipartisan goal that I think we can all get behind. So I encourage you to join me and Representative Timmons in supporting this bill. I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Do any members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7274 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no.

Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote.

A recorded vote is ordered. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is H.R. 2985, the Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 2985, the Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act, a bill to amend section 1078 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2018 to increase the effectiveness of the Technology Modernization Fund and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2985 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes to speak on the bill. I support H.R. 2985, the Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act. The Technology Modernization Fund, or the TMF, was established by the bipartisan Republican-led Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017. The TMF was established because of the immense challenges in planning and budgeting for large-scale federal legacy IT modernization projects through limitations presented by an annual appropriation cycle. The TMF addresses this problem by acting as a self-sustaining funding mechanism to flexibly assist agencies with legacy IT modernization. Funding these projects is important because delayed IT modernization efforts create cyber risk and inefficiencies in government operations. TMF program operations in recent years, however, have strayed from the original congressional intent established by the bipartisan law Congress passed. In the Biden administration, the TMF did not consistently require agencies to repay their awards at a level that would allow the program to be self-sustaining as originally intended. This operational choice by the previous administration put a strain on TMF's resources and hindered its ability to help address future legacy IT modernization projects. This bill reforms the TMF to ensure repayment plans are properly negotiated and the agencies fully reimburse the TMF for all administrative costs incurred in support of this project. The Trump administration has taken steps to ensure the fund remains solvent into the future, but Congress must act to ensure these practices and prevent any future abuse. These reforms also provide Congress with new oversight mechanisms to ensure the fund remains focused on its mission to fix the most costly and risky federal IT systems across our government. I believe the bill before us is a smart reform. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and I want to thank Representatives Nancy Mace and Shontel Brown, the leaders of the Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee, for their hard work drafting and championing this important reauthorization bill for the committee to consider here today. I now recognize the ranking member.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to also support this bill. The federal government, of course, must ensure that our digital systems are secure, safe, and effective. Tech modernization was something I've always supported, including when I was mayor of my hometown. We know that better technology means that agencies work more efficiently and that assessing services or government data is easier for the public. The Technology Modernization Fund was established in 2017 as an innovative self-sustaining funding model, allowing federal agencies flexibility to address current projects as it relates to IT and within the traditional budget cycle. I want to applaud Representatives Brown and Mace for leading this important bill. It's a good bipartisan bill and we support it.

Ranking member yields back. I now recognize the chairwoman of the bill, the chairwoman of our Cybersecurity Subcommittee, Ms. Nancy Mace from South Carolina.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act is a culmination of years of work in the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation to bring the federal government into the 21st century. Every year, the federal government spends over $100 billion on IT systems, with the largest portion of this money spent on maintaining outdated legacy systems. GAO has documented how efforts to modernize government technology are years behind schedule. A few examples: pilots, air traffic controllers, and other airport personnel currently communicate using systems that are in some cases more than 30 years old. Veterans' health records are currently stored in a system that is more than 30 years old. USDA maintains a system which is 41 years old. The EPA maintains a system which is 51 years old. And the Treasury maintains a system which is 59 years old, older than most people on this committee, Mr. Chairman. Maintaining these legacy systems is immensely costly, drives inefficiency in government, and makes executing the functions of the federal government more difficult. It's like seeing your family who could use Starlink and deciding you're better off with a dial-up. It's nonsensical and the American people deserve better. The Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act would reauthorize the Technology Modernization Fund and its governing board, the Technology Modernization Board, through 2032, allowing long-term investments in tech modernization. The bill would also make crucial reforms to ensure technology modernization efforts are being done in a responsible manner by requiring the TMF be reimbursed at the level needed to ensure the fund is operational until it sunsets in 2032 and creates a new requirement that agencies reimburse administrative fees. Importantly, this bill also requires each agency to create an inventory of its legacy IT systems, a new oversight tool which will allow Congress to evaluate agency and government-wide priority items for legacy IT modernization and to assess how well the TMF does in funding these projects. This is common-sense legislation addressing a real area of concern in our government. These legacy platforms drive up costs, create inefficiencies, they are national security risks, and expose our government to major cyber risks and are in desperate need of modernization. It's my privilege to work with our late colleague Jerry Connolly on this bill over the last few years. Jerry was among one of the strongest supporters of Technology Modernization Fund and a good faith partner on this bill. I want to thank the ranking member Shontel Brown for continuing Mr. Connolly's work with me on this bill and I'm hopeful together we can finally see this to its fruition and I urge all my colleagues to support the bill. And I yield back.

The gentlelady yields back. Thank you for your work on this bill. The chair recognizes the Democrat sponsor of the bill, Shontel Brown.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am honored to co-lead this legislation with Chairwoman Mace and continuing the work of our colleague Congressman Connolly. This legislation ensures that government efficiency delivers for the American people. Extending the Technology Modernization Fund is critical to ensuring federal agencies, many of which still rely on outdated IT systems, can modernize their infrastructure and defend against growing cyber threats. Continuing to pour resources into aging systems is costly, inefficient, and leaves our government unnecessarily vulnerable to hacks and security breaches. This is what good government looks like. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. Thank you so much, and with that, I yield back.

Gentlelady yields back. Thank you for your leadership on this bill. Do any... I know we have an amendment. Do any other members want to speak on the bill before we have an amendment? Seeing none, chair... for what purpose do you seek recognition, Mr. Walkinshaw?

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Will the clerk please report?

An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2985 is offered by Mr. Walkinshaw of Virginia.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. I reserve a point of order. The gentleman's recognized for five minutes to explain his amendment.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment adjusts the TMF's repayment framework by extending the standard payback period from five to seven years... ...while pairing that extension with added flexibility and stronger congressional accountability. I'm a strong supporter of the underlying legislation and want to thank Chairwoman Mace and Ranking Member Brown for their work to extend the TMF through 2032. I was here when we passed the Modernizing Government Technology Act, some great members who worked on it, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Hurd, and others. As has been said, the TMF has provided more than $750 million to 45 IT modernization projects and is integral to securing and modernizing federal IT. Much of its success is due to the fact that in 2021, it received a historic influx of funds from the American Rescue Plan and GSA changed the repayment requirements. That came at the urging of members of this committee, including Congressman Connolly, who recognized that some of those urgently needed high-impact projects wouldn't generate full repayment within the fund's standard five-year window. The purpose is to encourage agencies to undertake those large transformative projects that they're not incentivized to pursue through the normal appropriation cycle. And without a mechanism like TMF that works for agencies, they frequently defer critical IT upgrades because the costs can't be absorbed within a single budget year. The result, as we heard from Chairwoman Mace, is the accumulation of outdated systems that cost taxpayers more and pose serious cybersecurity risks. And many of those high-impact projects do have the potential to generate long-term cost savings for the taxpayers that would allow repayment. They often accrue over a longer timeframe than when the bill is structured to dictate. Five years is not always long enough. In fact, it is often not long enough to realize the full cost savings for these projects. As of last year, GSA reversed some of the relaxed repayment policies that were implemented in 2021 and, as we've heard, there were reasons for that decision. The fund had struggled to remain self-sustaining and has faced repeated challenges in this body securing annual appropriations. But we do have to balance maintaining the fund's solvency with its original purpose, which is to incentivize agencies to take on the large modernization projects they would otherwise avoid so that we no longer have 59-year-old IT projects. And look, it's one of the things that we don't do often around here, which is take a long-term view. What TMF does is give agencies the ability to spend $5 and return to the taxpayer a dollar every year for decades, generating significant savings over time. And my goal with the amendment is just to raise this issue for discussion and for the committee's consideration. I really appreciate the majority staff and the chairwoman having this dialogue with us. As I said, my amendment would extend the repayment period from five to seven years. It would pair it with additional accountability, requiring congressional briefings for the committees with oversight of the affected agency when projects experience significant delays or overruns. I recognize it's not a perfect solution, there isn't one, and I do appreciate that the current version of the bill maintains the option for OMB to extend the repayment window past five years at their discretion. I hope they will do that when there are opportunities to get savings for the taxpayers and I plan to withdraw the amendment, Mr. Chairman, but I did want to raise this topic for the committee's consideration and discussion and hope we can continue to have a dialogue on it. With that, I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Does anybody seek recognition on his amendment number one? Seeing none, Mr. Walkinshaw, do you intend to withdraw?

Yes, Mr. Chairman, I'm happy to withdraw the amendment number one.

The Walkinshaw amendment number one has been withdrawn. Now for what purpose do you seek recognition, Mr. Walkinshaw?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk, amendment number two.

Will the clerk please report?

Amendment number two to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2985 is offered by Mr. Walkinshaw of Virginia.

Without objection, the amendment is considered read. I reserve a point of order. The gentleman from Virginia is recognized for five minutes to explain his amendment number two.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The goal of my amendment is to ensure that TMF funds are being used to modernize critical federal legacy IT projects. The current bill requires that the federal CIO create a prioritized list of legacy IT projects yearly based on input from agencies. My amendment would simply require GAO to report biannually and in tandem with other reporting requirements that are already in the bill on the extent to which TMF funds have been used to address those prioritized legacy IT projects. It would allow us to better understand whether the TMF is achieving its stated goal and give us additional tools to understand how well the federal government is or is not modernizing its critical federal IT systems. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

The gentleman yields back and I'll just recognize myself for five seconds. I'm fine with the bill. I support the amendment which would add a reporting requirement to GAO's biannual report to evaluate which priority modernization projects are being funded by the TMF. As a result, Congress will have additional information to assess the extent to which TMF is meeting congressional intent. So I support the Walkinshaw amendment number two. Does any other member seek recognition on the amendment? Seeing... oh, ranking member.

I just want to briefly say I support this amendment, of course, from Representative Walkinshaw. It would require the GAO to evaluate the priority list of information technology projects developed by the administration in a report that's already required by this bill. It's common sense, it's good oversight, and I want to thank the author for the amendment.

Yields back. Any other member seek recognition? Seeing none. The question is now on the amendment number two offered by Mr. Walkinshaw. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 2985 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the chair recognizes Mr. Burlison.

Mr. Burlison, do you seek a recorded vote? I seek a recorded vote. Thank you, I appreciate that.

A recorded vote is ordered by Mr. Burlison from Missouri. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is H.R. 4123, the Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT) Procurement Act. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 4123, the Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT) Procurement Act, a bill to improve federal technology procurement and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4123 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement on the bill and the amendment. The Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act, or FIT Procurement Act, streamlines the procurement process for small businesses, ensures federal contracting officers are focused on larger acquisitions where the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse is high, and will unlock tens of millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers every year. The bill increases the micro-purchase threshold, or the MPT, from $10,000 to $25,000 and increases the simplified acquisition threshold, or the SAT, from a quarter of a million to half a million. As MPT transactions do not require the involvement of a federal contracting officer, increasing the MPT threshold is estimated by George Mason's Baroni Center for Government Contracting to save taxpayers more than $40 million annually in federal administrative costs. This increase will also allow contracting officers to spend more time scrutinizing larger acquisitions where the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse is far greater. Further, purchases above the MPT and below the SAT threshold are subject to simplified procedures in order to reduce administrative costs and promise opportunities for small businesses. By increasing the SAT from $250,000 to $500,000, this bill provides even more opportunities for small businesses and reduces administrative burdens for small government contracts. The bill would also authorize advanced payments for certain types of software and cloud computing products consistent with commercial practices. Advanced payment authorization will save taxpayer dollars by allowing federal agencies to access discounts that are only available through upfront payments. I thank the sponsor of the bill, Representative Burlison from Missouri, and Representative Subramanyam for their leadership on this important government modernization legislation. I urge my colleagues to again support this important government efficiency reform legislation which passed the committee unanimously last Congress. I now recognize the ranking member.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I strongly support this bill. This bill, of course, would help agencies purchase technology more efficiently and make it easier for businesses to compete for federal contracts. The bill would require new training for certain federal employees who work on government contracts. It would also save taxpayer money by reducing the time officials spend on smaller and lower-cost contracts. This is a good common-sense bipartisan bill. Improving these partnerships and making contracts more efficient has always been a priority for many members of this committee and I'm glad to support improving this process at the federal level. I want to thank Congressman Burlison and, of course, Congressman Subramanyam for this work. I urge all our colleagues to support the bill and I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. The chair now recognizes the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Burlison from Missouri.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, our hardworking taxpayers expect the federal government to be responsible stewards of their hard-earned dollars. They make tough financial decisions every day and they rightly expect us to exercise the same discipline. Too often, our federal procurement system does the opposite. It rewards inefficiency, layers on unnecessary administrative burdens, and slows down agency operations, all at the expense of the taxpayer. These inefficiencies drive up costs and limit agencies' ability to deliver timely and effective results. My bill, the FIT Procurement Act, addresses these challenges through targeted common-sense reforms in the federal procurement process. Legislation focuses on reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, improving coordination across agencies, and strengthening the acquisition force through better training and clear guidance. To improve workforce capability, the bill requires the Director of Federal Acquisition Institute to develop and implement cross-functional information and communication technology training for acquisition professionals. This ensures that those responsible for purchasing information and communication technology have the tools and the knowledge that they need to make smart and cost-effective decisions. The FIT Procurement Act also increases efficiency by expanding the use of simplified commercial-style purchasing. It raises the micro-purchase threshold from $10,000 to $25,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold from $250,000 to $500,000. Purchases under the micro-purchase threshold require no contracting officer involvement and significantly reduce the administrative overhead. Raising this threshold alone is estimated to save more than $40 million annually... ...while allowing contracting officers to focus on larger, higher-risk acquisitions where waste, fraud, and abuse is far greater. Increasing the simplified acquisition threshold further reduces the administrative costs and improves economic efficiency for small businesses competing for federal contracts. In addition, the FIT Procurement Act authorizes advanced payments for cloud computing services. This is just very common sense, allowing federal agencies to access the exact same upfront discounts that are commonly available to other businesses in the private sector, saving taxpayer dollars. Taken together, these reforms streamline procurement, reduce wasteful spending, and improve accountability without expanding government or creating a new bureaucracy. Ultimately leading to disciplined acquisition practices and real savings for the American taxpayer. I urge my colleagues to support this and I'll just make one final personal note is that for 20-plus years, I worked in the private sector in IT procurement for large hospital systems and I can tell you that... ...no private sector entity would ever have the thresholds as low as the federal government does and would function this way. This is going to make the procurement process much more efficient and with that, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and I greatly thank the chairman for the opportunity to pass this bill and I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Great work. Chair now recognizes Mr. Subramanyam, the Democrat sponsor of the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank Representative Burlison for his leadership on this and I fully agree with him and it was well said. I think raising the micro-purchase threshold, the simplified acquisition threshold, I mean, this is common sense now. Things cost more money now and it's been a while since we raised these thresholds. So this is a win-win for everyone. It's also going to lead to more opportunities for small businesses to compete for federal contracts and, you know, most importantly, it's going to cut waste and save millions of dollars for taxpayers. And so I think it's common sense and I'm glad it's bipartisan and I look forward to seeing the support of the committee on this. So I yield back and thank you, Mr. Burlison.

Gentleman yields back. Do any other members seek recognition on the bill? Chair recognizes Mr. Mfume from Maryland.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to congratulate both of the sponsors of this legislation. This discussion has taken place in the Small Business Committee for at least the last three years and to some extent in this committee. And the fact that now we are actually looking at providing oversight by streamlining acquisitions threshold and reforming the process, particularly when it comes to having in place disciplined practices, is very, very significant. So this gets us a long way to where we have to go. Again, I want to thank both co-sponsors for looking at this and for working through the process of bringing it before this committee. I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Do any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 4123 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, for what purpose does Mr. Burlison seek recognition?

I seek a recorded vote, Mr. Chairman.

A recorded vote is ordered by the gentleman from Missouri. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. [Gavel sounds.] Our next item for consideration is H.R. 7256, the Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 7256, the Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act, a bill to amend section 3523 of title 5, United States Code, to increase the limit on voluntary separation incentive payments and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 7256 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purpose of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement on actually... I'll recognize the gentleman, the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Langworthy from New York.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When taxpayers fund the government, they rightly expect... ...expect efficiency, accountability, and results. And too often, outdated workforce structures and excessive bureaucracy prevent agencies from aligning staffing decisions with current mission needs. For more than three decades, federal agencies have relied on the Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment program, or VSIP, to manage workforce reductions without layoffs or major disruptions. VSIP was designed to help agencies right-size their workforces, reduce payroll costs, and provide employees with voluntary and dignified paths to depart government service. But for over 30 years, despite inflation, rising wages, and higher personnel costs, the maximum payout under VSIP has remained frozen at $25,000. What may appear fiscally responsible at first glance has, in practice, become a barrier to responsible workforce management and truly saving taxpayer dollars. This outdated cap has limited agencies' ability to offer competitive voluntary off-ramps. As a result, the federal government often misses opportunities to reduce payroll costs early and instead turns to more expensive and disruptive alternatives, such as involuntary separations, extended administrative leave, or simply paying positions that no longer align with mission needs. This costs taxpayers more, creates uncertainty for employees, and leaves agencies with fewer options. The Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act fixes this problem by modernizing VSIP caps and allowing agencies to offer incentives of up to six months' pay. By tying the incentive to earned income rather than an arbitrary dollar figure, the program would automatically adjust over time and once again function as an effective and competitive workforce management tool. By restoring the VSIP as a meaningful option, this legislation allows agencies to reduce payroll costs sooner in a more orderly and predictable way. Just as important, this bill treats federal employees with dignity and respect. When agencies must downsize or restructure, providing a voluntary path forward gives employees greater control over their future. The bottom line is simple: my bill today helps agencies reduce costs responsibly, treats employees fairly, and provides a path to help right-size the federal workforce without unnecessary disruption. I urge my colleagues to support the Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act, and Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Chair recognizes Mr. Walkinshaw.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman for the bill. This is long overdue. As he noted, the cap has not been increased since 1994, so the increase and future adjustments for inflation are appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Gentleman yields back. I'll recognize myself to speak on behalf of the bill. The federal government bureaucracy often grows but rarely shrinks. Federal employees have certain workforce protections and job security expectations that would be unfamiliar to their private sector counterparts. The American people elected President Trump to take control of the federal workforce, which has become bloated at the expense of efficiency and accountability to the taxpayer. But President Trump is hamstrung by outdated federal law, which provides only limited tools to downsize agency employment roles. Exercising authorities for voluntary federal agency downsizing, such as voluntary separation incentive payments, or VSIP authority, is often preferable to involuntary options, such as implementing a cumbersome reduction in force process. The VSIP authority offers voluntary payments to incentivize employees to depart, effectively saving taxpayer money on salaries and benefits for the employee. Unfortunately, current law generally limits VSIP payments to $25,000, a figure that has not been updated in nearly three decades. Given the status quo, too many employees would choose not to take the offer, leaving taxpayers on the hook for their continued salaries and benefits. Mr. Langworthy's bill would expand this authority to make VSIP offers more attractive for downsizing agencies to offer their employees. It does so by increasing the payment limits to the equivalent of half of an employee's annual salary, a figure that will naturally grow with inflation. I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Langworthy, for offering this helpful government reform bill and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7256. Do any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7256, as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion— For what purpose does Mr. Biggs from Arizona seek recognition?

I request a recorded vote.

Mr. Biggs has ordered a recorded vote. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is H.R. 7283, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 7283, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act, a bill to amend Title 41, United States Code, to amend the time period for certain acquisition-related dollar thresholds.

Without objection, the bill shall be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 7283 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement on the bill and the amendment. The Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act is a simple common-sense reform to government procurement. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is required to adjust certain dollar thresholds, such as the simplified acquisition threshold, every five years. Everyone has seen how quickly the value of money can change in five years. The bill will simply require the thresholds be updated every three years instead of every five years. These dollar thresholds define the applicability of different policies, procedures, and restrictions to the procurement of property or services needed by federal agencies to achieve their missions. Raising these dollar thresholds more frequently saves taxpayer dollars on administrative costs and increases competition to do business with the government, especially for small businesses. I urge my colleagues to support this important government efficiency reform legislation. I want to thank Representative Fallon from Texas and Representative Walkinshaw for leading this bill. I now recognize Mr. Walkinshaw.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Mr. Fallon and very proud to co-lead H.R. 7283. This is a common-sense bill that will make inflation-related adjustments for purchasing thresholds to define the applicability of different policies, procedures, and restrictions to the procurement of goods or services by government agencies. It allows the FAR to make these adjustments every three years instead of five, which will help ensure that those purchasing requirements better reflect the real-world costs and realities. It has the potential to improve efficiency, generate savings, and increase small business participation across the federal procurement landscape. More frequent inflation adjustments to the FAR's micro-purchase threshold, for example, would better align federal purchasing authority with actual buying power, speed up contract awards that should reasonably qualify as micro-purchases but currently do not due to inflation and the outdated thresholds. By preventing the exclusion of contracts that would otherwise qualify as micro-purchases if the threshold reflected current purchasing power, the government can reduce administrative burden associated with the more complicated acquisition processes for the same good or service. It would improve small business participation and ensure that they're not excluded from using those simplified acquisition pathways because dollar thresholds haven't kept pace with inflation. And again, want to thank Mr. Fallon for his great work on the bill, and I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Do any other members seek recognition on this bill? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7283, as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion— For what purpose does Mr. Higgins seek recognition? Do you request a roll call vote, Mr. Higgins?

Roll call.

All right, a recorded vote is ordered by Mr. Higgins from Louisiana. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is H.R. 1118, the Value Over Cost Act of 2025. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 1118, the Value Over Cost Act of 2025, a bill to amend Title 41, United States Code, and Title 10, United States Code, to provide best value through the multiple award schedule program and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill shall be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1118, as offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Donalds from Florida, for five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman, thank you for considering my bill, H.R. 1118, the Value Over Cost Act. Also want to thank my co-sponsor on the legislation, Mr. Moskowitz of Florida. H.R. 1118 is a simple and common-sense procurement reform that will modernize the federal procurement process. Currently, the GSA's multiple award schedule program awards contracts with respect to the lowest overall cost alternative. When procurement decisions prioritize the lowest overall cost, agencies risk durability and performance for short-term savings, leading to eventual higher costs. Contracting officers should have the authority to evaluate products with the best value in mind, including vendors with strong past performance and products that deliver consistent results. It's both fiscally wasteful and operationally inefficient to use taxpayer funds on low-quality products to cut costs that are prone to fail early or cost more to replace. Overall, my bill increases contractual flexibility and contracting competition, clarifies standards for acquisition stakeholders, maximizes the federal government's ability to procure modern technology, and helps the small business community by reducing regulatory burdens associated with federal procurement. In sum, I urge the members of this committee to vote in favor of this common-sense and bipartisan piece of legislation to modernize the federal procurement procedures, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Gentleman yields back. Chair recognizes Mr. Walkinshaw.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Happy to support the bill. The GSA maintains a list of goods and services from multiple vendors at varying prices, which agencies can order, and this would provide a simplified process for agencies to acquire those goods and services and get discounts for bulk purchasing. And as Mr. Donalds noted, make clear that the government can approve contracts that consider quality and expertise alongside price, better known as best value contracts. Help ensure that the federal government takes competitive bids but also ensures that those vendors are reliable. It's a common-sense bill, makes sure the federal government spends its dollars more wisely while delivering for the American people, and I want to thank Mr. Donalds and Mr. Moskowitz for their work on the bill. I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. I recognize myself for a statement. I support the Value Over Cost Act, which modernizes the General Services Administration's government-wide multiple award schedule program. GSA's multiple award schedule program is the federal government's most used contracting procedure for commercial products and services. Federal agencies rely on the multiple award schedule to purchase the best commercial products, services, and solutions at the best price. Currently, GSA is required to evaluate the lowest overall cost alternative when determining what will be available on the multiple award schedule. This requires a burdensome process which can actually lead to higher prices over time as contractors pass hidden administrative or ongoing support costs along to the federal government. Sometimes the lowest overall cost alternative process leads to some contractors not wanting to do business with the government at all. This bill allows GSA to consider awarding contracts based on best value instead of lowest overall cost alternative. By allowing GSA to choose to award contracts based on best value, this bill puts the multiple award schedule program on a level playing field with other acquisition procedures. This bill will maximize the federal government's ability to procure modern technology and help empower the small business community. I want to thank Representative Donalds from Florida for his leadership on the issue, despite his questionable co-lead on the bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this targeted government efficiency. Do any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 1118, as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying no. For what purpose does Mr. Crane seek recognition?

[Inaudible.] Recorded vote is ordered by Mr. Crane from Arizona. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed.

And that was all you, Mr. Donalds. [Laughter.] Our next item for consideration is H.R. 5438, the Incentivize Savings Act. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 5438, the Incentivize Savings Act, a bill to incentivize federal agencies to create savings for the American people and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill shall be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5438 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes to speak on the bill. Federal agency spending continues to grow while the national debt continues to rise. We are in a grave financial situation, which requires innovative solutions. The Incentivize Savings Act addresses a perverse incentive presented by the annual federal budgeting system. Agencies are incentivized to spend every dollar they are appropriated before the end of each fiscal year, even if they don't actually need to. It's an open secret in Washington. Agencies fear that their budgets will be reduced if they do not completely spend all appropriated dollars, so they wastefully spend money on things they don't actually need before the end of the fiscal year. The Incentivize Savings Act intends to flip such a use-it-or-lose-it incentive. This bill would authorize agencies to retain 49 percent of their expiring funds for an additional year, thereby incentivizing agencies to save such appropriated funds instead of spending them on things they don't need. Two percent would be made available for retention bonuses, rewarding employees who identified appropriated funds as wasteful. And 49 percent of the identified expiring funds go toward paying down the national debt. I want to thank Representative Richard McCormick for taking the incentive to raise a taxpayer savings proposal for this committee's consideration. I now recognize Mr. Walkinshaw.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I strongly oppose this legislation. Despite advocating for agency incentives to identify savings, it contains significant legal, constitutional, and technical problems that would make it both harmful and unworkable. The Trump administration, as we know, has taken drastic actions to illegally withhold and impound funds that it's opposed to, in violation of appropriations law, and this is a bill that would actually incentivize those actions. The GAO has already found at least five instances to date of the Trump administration violating the Impoundment Control Act, the law. And more of those decisions could come in the future. The administration illegally froze and cut federal funding for five states. OMB also announced a government-wide initiative to identify federal spending provided to state, local, and tribal governments, colleges, and nonprofits in 14 states and D.C. that all voted against President Trump in the 2024 election. This bill would signal to the Trump administration that it endorses their illegal impoundment and withholding of funds, funds that belong to the American people, undermining Congress's power of the purse, and it would reward those actions. All congressional appropriations that have not been spent by the end of its appropriation are already returned to the Treasury. This bill, instead, splits those unexpended funds where less than half would return to the Treasury, another 49 percent would be extended for another year, and two percent would be paid to employees in the form of retention bonuses. Rather than producing savings, CBO will likely estimate a high score for this bill. It will cost money. In addition, the bill contains a series of technical issues that would make it almost impossible to execute. I, like all Democrats on the Oversight Committee and the Congress, want federal agencies to identify savings and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in programs and activities wherever possible, and we have a number of good bipartisan bills today that will do that. Unfortunately, this bill would not. I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Any other member seek recognition on this bill? Chair recognizes Mr. Min.

Thank you, Chair Comer. Appreciate the opportunity to speak. So, last year, Ezra Klein wrote an op-ed, it was titled "The Republican Party's NPC Problem and Ours." And the gist of that is that House Republicans, congressional Republicans, were very comfortable conceding authority to Trump, that they were acting as non-player characters, to use a video game term, and not expressing any agency in standing up for Congress's constitutional prerogatives. Our Article I authority is very clear that we have exclusive rights and authorities to appropriate money. And what we've seen over the last 12 months is Donald Trump and this administration, Elon Musk, who's an on-again, off-again buddy of Trump, deciding that they're going to illegally and unconstitutionally infringe upon our Article I appropriations authority. And this bill, as Rep. Walkinshaw eloquently expressed, incentivizes future administrations to do the exact same thing. And so I would urge my Republican colleagues to not be non-player characters, to stand up for our constitutional rights here. This is a permanent infringement that you are authorizing and incentivizing. You are basically telling the Trump administration and future administrations that they can ignore Congress, they can—their agencies can withhold funding, and that that will just be fine. And in the future, it might be to states like yours, some of the states you represent. It might be to programs that you care about. And so I urge my Republican colleagues to stand up. This bill is just poorly constructed, it is poorly thought out, it creates adverse incentives, and really ex post facto authorizes and condones the unconstitutional and illegal behavior we've seen in violating the Impoundment Control Act and infringing upon our Article I authority. So stand up for our constitutional rights, be members of Congress, protect our constitutional authorities here. With that, I yield back.

Chair recognizes—you have a unanimous—for what purpose does Mr. Walkinshaw seek recognition?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from CREW, the Project on Government Oversight, Protect Democracy, and Public Citizen, which states that the Incentivize Savings Act would, quote, "create fiscal chaos rather than fiscal savings."

Without objection, so ordered. Chair recognizes Ms. Randall.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I support responsible use of taxpayer dollars, but Congress, not the executive branch, controls federal spending. At a time when this body, under Republican leadership, has chosen to cede our congressional authority over and over and over again to the president, this bill is the exact opposite of what we need. Congress, all of us, need to stand up for our constitutional mandate and protect our appropriations authority, pure and simple. Russ Vought, the head of the OMB and the architect of Project 2025, has been wreaking havoc across our communities by illegally withholding funds, rescinding grants, and reallocating money without the authorization of Congress. From the very beginning of last year, right after Trump's inauguration, we heard from organization after organization in our communities who unexpectedly had their funds frozen and have lived in chaos ever since. That's why the very first bill I introduced was the Office of Management and Budget Inspector General Act. We have to ensure that independent nonpartisan oversight of the OMB exists so that we can prevent unlawful withholding of funds. H.R. 5438, the bill we are debating today, does the opposite. It rewards agencies for not spending funds Congress has already appropriated, encouraging illegal impoundment. GAO, an independent nonpartisan watchdog, has found multiple violations of the Impoundment Control Act. Mr. Min laid them out, Mr. Walkinshaw laid them out. We have to stand up for our congressional authority. Congress should not enable this behavior. This bill would increase spending, not reduce it, and it would continue to give this rogue administration a blank check. I oppose the Incentivize Savings Act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back.

Mr. Chairman, I support this bill. Our republic is $38 trillion in debt. That's 38,000 billion dollars. If we were to run a $1 billion surplus, balance the budget and run a $1 billion surplus in this body, it would require 38,000 years of billion-dollar surplus. We don't have 38,000 years to fix this thing. We have to rein in federal spending, eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and theft. And constitutionally, under Article I, Congress authorizes a project or an endeavor for the federal government and then funds, through appropriations, that authorized federal government action. And then under Article II, the executive branch has administrative authority and they're responsible for spending the money and executing the federal endeavor that was authorized and funded by Congress. And within the framework of the execution of that federal endeavor, the executive branch has the responsibility to audit the bureaucratic performance of that authorized and funded endeavor and they're responsible to identify what's cited in this law as incompetence and failure. And we have a responsibility to control the expenditures therein. The money that Congress authorizes and appropriates for a particular purpose must be executed in a manner that's reflective of an absence of incompetence and failure, waste, fraud, abuse, and theft. This is common sense. So the American citizenry that we serve, Mr. Chairman, demands enhanced control of their treasure because it is their treasure. There's no such thing as federal money. Every dollar that comes into this town has been seized from the paycheck of an American working citizen. I vigorously support this bill and many like it that codify the efforts of President Trump's team and this executive branch, which is determined to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and theft from the federal sphere of spending that has driven us to a $38 trillion debt. Mr. Chairman, I yield.

I want to thank the gentleman for his comments. Do any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 5438, as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the bill is ordered favorably—

Mr. Chair, recorded vote, please.

Okay, the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Higgins, has ordered a recorded vote. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is H.R. 5000, the Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 5000, the Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act, a bill to amend Title 5, United States Code, to limit the use of educational requirements or qualifications in evaluating candidates for certain cybersecurity positions in the competitive service and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill shall be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5000 is offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement. The federal government relies on cybersecurity professionals to protect personally identifiable information, defend against cyber threats, and build secure government technology. To ensure this work is done effectively, the federal government desperately needs to hire more exceptionally qualified cybersecurity experts. But historically, for many cybersecurity jobs, the federal government has effectively required applicants achieve a certain level of education to even be considered for employment, regardless of their actual skill set and expertise. This posture prevents the government from hiring the best and brightest cybersecurity professionals. Many experts have the right technical skills and experience, but federal hiring managers are not even allowed to consider them because they lack a formal college degree. The Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act reforms this process to allow federal agencies to hire qualified cybersecurity professionals, those with the right knowledge and skills, even if they lack an expensive and sometimes unnecessary college degree. I urge my colleagues to support this timely, necessary, and bipartisan bill, which passed the committee unanimously last Congress. And I thank Representative Nancy Mace and Shontel Brown, the leaders of the Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee, for championing this federal hiring reform bill. Do any other members seek recognition on the bill before I recognize the sponsor? Chair recognizes the sponsor of the bill, Ms. Mace.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ...and degree requirements function as a poor substitute for what actually matters in the labor market: merit, skills, and talent. A diploma may signal someone mostly showed up somewhere for a few years, but it does not reliably indicate whether a worker can perform the tasks a job requires, adapt to new technologies, or contribute productively. Hiring in today's federal cybersecurity workforce too often mistakes credentials for competence from working in federal cybersecurity jobs. Too often talented young people who excel at computer science and cybersecurity are barred from competing for opportunities to compete for jobs in the federal cybersecurity workforce simply because they lack a piece of paper from a four-year college or university. Today, college dropouts like Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Ellison would have a hard time getting an entry-level cybersecurity job in the federal government. Countless private companies have recognized unnecessary degree requirements don't serve the employee or employer and have begun to phase out or entirely do away with degree requirements for many positions. This is why I introduced the Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act. This bill is an important step to tearing through the paper ceiling preventing so many talented Americans from reaching their full potential. The Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act would eliminate the use of mandatory education requirements in hiring for federal cybersecurity-related positions unless they are legally required in the state or locality they are in. My bill also requires the Office of Personnel Management to annually publish online changes to education qualification standards for federal cybersecurity jobs and information about the education level of new hires to these jobs. Nationwide, there is a shortage of approximately half a million cybersecurity professionals in the public and private sector. On top of this, in the federal workforce alone, there are five times more cybersecurity workers over the age of 55 than there are under the age of 30, with just one in 16 under the age of 30. In the midst of a workforce shortage and with the rapid evolution of technology, from quantum computing to artificial intelligence to the array of advanced cyber threats, it is of great concern so much of the federal cybersecurity workforce is nearing retirement. This bill would help the federal government attract top cybersecurity talent at a time when it needs it more than ever, safeguarding our nation's critical infrastructure and national security from malign actors. I want to thank the ranking member Shontel Brown for partnering with me on this bill to help to tear up the paper ceiling holding back very talented and qualified Americans, and I urge all members to support this bill and I yield back.

The gentlelady yields back. Chair recognizes the ranking member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Oh.

Oh, he took it. He took it.

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Who?

You can go first. I'm fine.

We'll recognize the co-sponsor of the bill.

I will yield to I will yield to the ranking member of the committee.

I'm happy to. I just want to... Look, Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to support the bill. I mean, this bill is really is really is really good common sense. The bill is also something that actually makes the federal government more attractive, competitive. It's great, of course, for cybersecurity professionals and improves our nation's cybersecurity defenses. I want to thank Representative Brown and Representative Mace for their work on this bipartisan legislation and happy to support it. I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Chair now recognizes the sponsor of the bill, the ranking member of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee, Ms. Brown.

Thank you. My apologies again. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, ranking member. I am proud to co-lead this important legislation with Chairwoman Mace. This common sense bill will help the federal government hire talented people, hire the talented people it needs to keep the nation's cybersecurity safe. This bill does not lower the qualifications, but instead recognizes educational experience is not one size fits all and, in the field like cybersecurity, real-world expertise is critical. This legislation lowers barriers to entry and opens the door for capable, diverse candidates to enter the cyber workforce. It will help level the playing field for veterans, community college graduates, career changers, and people who have had non-traditional educational pathways, like myself and Representative Mace. I thank Representative Mace for her leadership on this and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. And with that, I thank you and yield back.

Gentlelady yields back. Any other member seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. [Noes.] In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 5000 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. [Noes.]

Mr. Chairman, before you ask, a recorded vote, please.

A recorded vote is ordered by Ms. Mace from South Carolina. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Our next item for consideration is H.R. 7265. Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting. Yeah. The clerk will please designate the bill.

H.R. 7265, the Vote By Mail Tracking Act, a bill to amend Title 39, United States Code, to require mail-in ballots to use the Postal Service barcode service and for other purposes.

Without objection, the bill should be considered as read and open for amendment at any point. Without objection, so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The clerk will please designate the amendment.

An amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 7265 as offered by Mr. Comer of Kentucky.

Without objection, the amendment is considered as read and the substitute will be considered as original text for the purposes of further amendment. I now recognize myself for five minutes for a statement on the bill and the amendment. Every American citizen who votes deserves to know that their vote has been counted and their voice has been heard. This bill, the Vote By Mail Tracking Act, would ensure that this is the case. H.R. 7265 requires that all ballots for federal election mailed within the United States to or from a voter contain a Postal Service barcode. This barcode will allow voters to track the status of their ballot in the U.S. Postal Service system, allowing voters to know in real time when their ballot is received by the Postal Service, when it is in transit, and when it has arrived at their election authority. Beyond a Postal Service barcode, the bill requires a ballot to meet other requirements, including utilizing Postal Service's envelope design standards in order to be considered mailable. Additionally, the ballot must include the official election mail logo and any future logo the Postal Service establishes for ballots. If a ballot does not meet these requirements, it cannot be mailed. Don't get me wrong, I encourage every citizen who wishes to vote in person on election day to do so. But many people choose to vote by mail. This is a reality we must recognize, and the U.S. Postal Service has delivered nearly all election mail on time in recent years. According to the Postal Service, over 97 percent of election mail was delivered on time for the 2024 midterm election, according to the Inspector General of the Postal Service. But without safeguards, bad actors could attempt to influence our election. We must take election security seriously and account for the fact that a significant number of Americans choose to cast their ballot by mail. This bill is a common sense bipartisan response to rising levels of mail-in voting nationwide. I want to thank my colleagues Representative Mfume and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Pete Sessions for their work on this important legislation, which passed the House in identical form last Congress under suspension of the rules. I encourage all my colleagues to support this important election integrity bill. I now recognize the ranking member.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also support this bill. We know that voting by mail is incredibly safe, reliable, and critical to our democracy. The U.S. Postal Service delivered nearly 100 million mail-in ballots in the 2024 primary and general elections, with nearly one-third of voters choosing to vote by mail. In the 2026 election, millions of Americans will cast their ballot by mail. We can always do more to increase confidence and security. The Vote By Mail Tracking Act would require every mail-in ballot to contain a unique barcode and an official election mail logo. This will make it easier for voters and election officials to track ballots. The bill would also require mail-in ballots to meet specific Postal Service guidelines, making it easier for the Postal Service and election officials to sort, track, and verify the authenticity of mail-in ballots. This is bipartisan, it's common sense legislation, and would make sure that voters can confirm their vote when counted. I'd like to thank Representatives Mfume and Sessions for their work on this bipartisan legislation, and I urge all of our colleagues to support this bill and I yield back.

Ranking member yields back. Chair recognizes the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Mfume from Maryland.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you and the ranking member for bringing this Vote By Mail Tracking Act back before the committee today. And I also want to thank my friend and the chair of the Government Operations Committee, Pete Sessions, for co-leading this legislation again, as well as the nine other members of this committee who have co-sponsored the bill. Simply put, and I'm going to be just a little deliberately redundant, the Vote By Mail Tracking Act requires that voters who choose to cast their ballots by mail can then track those ballots and have confidence that they are delivered securely and counted. The bill requires mail-in ballot envelopes, as you stressed, to include a legally certified UPS barcode, meet Postal Service design standards, and display the official election mail logo. More than 47 million Americans, about 30 percent of all voters, voted by mail in the 2024 election. This legislation provides that those voters will have greater visibility into the mail ballot processing system. It will also strengthen their confidence in our elections for voters of all parties and helps the Postal Service deliver ballots more efficiently, easing election administration for state and local officials. We believe this is a common sense bipartisan reform package that first surfaced in the last Congress. As some of you on this committee know, this bill was approved in the last Congress by a vote of 396 to six and was of course approved unanimously as well by this committee. So I would urge my colleagues to support the Vote By Mail Tracking Act. I want to thank you again, Mr. Chairman and ranking member, for your support and Mr. Sessions in his absence. I yield back.

The gentleman yields back. Before I recognize Ms. Simon, I have to always point out, Mr. Mfume, I appreciate the good working relationship that you and Mr. Sessions have and the good work that you all do on the Government Operations Subcommittee. Appreciate that. Chair recognizes Ms. Simon.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you, ranking member Garcia. I really am excited about us moving this piece of legislation through. I'm proud to support the Vote By Mail Tracking Act and thank Congressmen Mfume and Sessions for their leadership and insight to move this forward this Congress. This bill would help track voters would help voters track their mail-in ballots and require all mail-in ballot envelopes to have the USPS barcode, which, as has been already stated, is extremely important to help voters track where their ballot is. Voters should be able to rely on the premise that when they perform their sacred duty of voting, that their vote will be carefully tracked. Improving transparency and in the vote-by-mail process is essential for all voters who choose to vote this way, but especially for voters with disabilities. And so much has been said about how important this bill is and we're really excited for it to hit the floor. But just for a second, if you can imagine yourself living in middle America or, frankly, even in parts of my county, Alameda County, where transit is hard to find or you have to wait for two hours, three hours for paratransit to get to your voting space, you'd know how important this bill is, not only to uphold vote-by-mail, but to ensure the efficacy in the process. Whether you use a wheelchair or whether you're visually impaired or you have intellectual disabilities, we know that vote-by-mail is a critical component for you to be able to express your God-given right to vote. And I just want to thank again the authors of this bill for acknowledging our disabled Americans who have been extraordinarily often times ignored in the process of lifting up their democracy. And with that, I'll yield the rest of my time. I am in deep support. Thank you.

The lady yields back. And I meant to do this on H.R. 1118, but I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter of support from the Center for Procurement Advocacy for H.R. 1118. Without objection, so ordered. Any other member seek recognition? Ms. Randall.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. I'm also speaking in strong support of this policy. Nearly every Washingtonian votes by mail and has been doing so safely and securely for over a decade. Voting by mail is not an experiment, it's our lived reality in Washington, Oregon, and so many other states, and it's been critical to ensuring that all U.S. citizens can participate in our democracy. And for so many of my constituents, so many Americans proudly serving their country overseas, it is essential for them to be able to participate in our democracy. This bill ensures that when a voter mails their ballot, they can track it every step of the way, something that most counties in Washington already do, and that all Americans have gotten really used to from ordering Domino's Pizza to tracking an Amazon order. Like, if you can functionally track things in other aspects of your life, why wouldn't you be able to track it with your very important sacred ballot? No one should have to worry whether their ballot made it back to the election officials, no one should be left guessing whether their vote was counted. Ballot tracking provides transparency and peace of mind. And this bill is so important in ensuring that we have secure and reliable and trustworthy elections. This bill doesn't change who can vote or how ballots are counted, it doesn't advantage one party or the other, it simply modernizes election infrastructure using tools that the Postal Service already uses every day. Also helps election administrators identify mail delays and resolve issues quickly and allows a voter who, you know, is able to identify maybe that their ballot didn't make it all the way to follow up. That's an incredible sense of empowerment that all of our constituents deserve. Democracy works the best when people trust it. Washington has shown this can work effectively. Some of our county auditors even live stream their vote counting rooms so that anyone can watch them. It's, you know, welcome to the modern world. And I urge all my colleagues to support the Vote By Mail Tracking Act. I yield back. Thank you.

The lady yields back. Any other member seek recognition? Seeing none, the question is now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. [Noes.] In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Chair requests a recorded vote. Okay, you meant on the next one. That was the the yeah, right? Okay. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7265 as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed signify by saying no. [Noes.] The gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Mfume, has ordered a recorded vote. As previously announced, further proceedings on the question will be postponed. Pursuant to the previous order, the chair declares that the committee is in recess subject to the call of the chair. We plan to reconvene at 2:45. The committee stands in recess. [Gavel sounds.]

The committee will come to order. We're going to go ahead and get started. I know there are a few members coming in. We said 2:45. It's 2:50 and we have votes in a minute. But before we start with the votes, we have a couple of announcements that the ranking member and I want to make. First of all, I want to recognize, we did at the start, but also say again since we have more people in attendance now, I want to recognize Tim Burchett and congratulate him for being the new chairman of the DODE subcommittee. [Applause.] Now Tim Burchett's in charge of complaints. If anybody has any complaints, they can take them up with Tim Burchett. So, congratulations. I yield to the ranking member.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I just want to also add, and look, we're going to have an opportunity at a later time to actually celebrate her work and her legacy. And so that's not what's happening now, but this is our first meeting as a committee since we've had the announcement for our incredible congresswoman, Congresswoman Norton, that is going to be retiring, of course, from the Congress. And I just wanted to just add on behalf of us that we're looking forward to celebrating you in the weeks and months ahead, which we're going to do. But for those that may not know, Congresswoman Norton has served the district for over 30 years, 34, over 30 years, 34 as Kweisi just reminded me of. And long before that as an advocate, a teacher, an educator, an activist, an organizer, and an incredible person and a scholar, obviously, of all the work that you've done. Also want to add, and I think it's important to note for those of us that are newer to Congress, that we do view you as one of the key figures in whether it relates to issues around civil rights, the leader of statehood, and you are a true giant in the work of Congress. We respect you, we honor you, and we look forward to uplifting your work and your legacy, not just now, but a lot of special things ahead in the many weeks and months ahead as you serve out the rest of this incredible term. And so we just want to thank you, Eleanor, for everything. [Applause.]

Gentleman yields back and Ms. Norton, on behalf of the Republicans, we want to thank you for your service and you are a legend in Congress and we appreciate all your time in Washington, especially on the House Oversight Committee. The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7274. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 7274, sponsored by Representative Timmons. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded?

Just one moment.

Okay, we've got a few.

All set.

Does any member wish to change their vote? Seeing none, the vote's closed and the clerk will report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 40, the nays are one.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 2985. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 2985 by Representative Mace. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 42, the nays are zero.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 4123. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 4123 of Mr. Burlison. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 42, the nays are zero.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7283. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 7283 by Mr. Langworthy. Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 43, the nays are zero.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 1118. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 1118 by Representative Donalds. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 44, the nays are zero.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 5438. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 5438 by Representative McCormick. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 25, the nays are 19.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 5000. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 5000 sponsored by Representative Mace. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 44, the nays are zero.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] The question is now on favorably reporting H.R. 7265. Members will record their votes using the electronic voting system. The clerk will now open the vote on favorably reporting H.R. 7265 sponsored by Representative Mfume. Have all members been recorded who wish to be recorded? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote, report the vote total.

Mr. Chairman, on this vote, the ayes are 43, the nay is one.

The ayes have it and the bill is ordered favorably reported. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. [Gavel sounds.] Pursuant to notice, I now call up the following en bloc postal naming bills which were distributed in advance on this markup: H.R.s 6020, 6808, and 6995. Without objection, the bills are considered read. If any member would like to speak on any of the measures, they may do so now. Does any member wish to be heard?

Mr. Gosar, you want to be heard?

Seeing none, the question is now on favorably reporting the en bloc package. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] All those opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the en bloc measures are favorably reported. Pursuant to House Rule 11, Clause 2, I ask that committee members have the right to file with the clerk of the committee supplemental, additional, minority, and dissenting views. Without objection. Additionally, the staff is authorized to make necessary technical and conforming changes to the committee print, subject to the approval of the minority. Without objection, so ordered. If there is no further business before the committee, without objection, the committee stands adjourned. [Gavel sounds.]