[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ENHANCED OVERSIGHT OF STATE AND LOCAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 2009

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today in 
support of H.R. 2182, the ``Enhanced Oversight of State and Local 
Economic Recovery Act.'' I would like to thank my colleague 
Representative Towns for introducing this bill and I urge my colleagues 
to support H.R. 2182, amending the American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act of 2009. Supporting this bill will ensure that those people 
responsible for monitoring and accounting the $787 billion currently 
being allocated through the Recovery Act are able to do so both fairly 
and efficiently. I would also like to thank my legislative director, 
Mr. Arthur D. Sidney, for all his hard work.
  This bill will require federal agencies receiving funds under the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, subject to guidance from the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to reasonably 
adjust applicable limits on administrative expenditures for federal 
awards to help award recipients defray costs of data collection, 
auditing, contract and grant planning and management, and 
investigations of waste, fraud, and abuse required under such Act.
  The ``Enhanced Oversight of State and Local Economic Recovery Act'' 
modifies the Recovery Act and provides state and local governments the 
flexibility to set aside a portion of their stimulus funds, up to .5% 
of such funds, in addition to any funds already allocated to 
administrative expenditures, to conduct planning, management and 
oversight investigations to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse.
  Furthermore, H.R. 2182 will permit the Administrator of the General 
Services Administration (GSA) to provide for the use by state and local 
governments of GSA federal supply schedules for goods or services 
funded by such Act. The GSA schedules are pre-negotiated federal 
contracts for a range of common goods and services, for stimulus 
projects. In addition, this bill will make participation by a firm that 
sells to a state or local government through such schedule, voluntary 
as well as require the OMB Director to issue guidance to ensure 
accurate and consistent reporting of ``jobs created'' and ``jobs 
retained'' data.
  There is much concern that state and local governments are unable to 
meet the oversight demands placed on them by the Recovery Act. The 
stimulus calls for unparalleled oversight and accountability, so we 
must provide those whose job it is to root out waste, fraud, and abuse 
with the adequate tools to get the job done. Our state and local 
governments are on the front lines of this monumental effort to fight 
mismanagement of Recovery Act dollars and their success is vital to 
making the stimulus work. Not initially providing funds for state 
auditors under the Recovery Act was an omission that needs to be 
rectified. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill.

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