[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 128 (Monday, July 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5136-S5137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NOMINATION OF JOSEPH V. CUFFARI
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, viewing the awful conditions at DHS
detention facilities in Texas crystalized my belief that continued
tough, independent oversight and accountability from Congress and
Homeland Security inspector general is imperative to change the
deplorable treatment of migrants. That is why I pushed Mr. Cuffari to
make two critical commitments.
First, the Inspector General's Office must continue frequent and
unannounced inspections of CBP and ICE immigration detention
facilities, and second, he must strongly rebuff any attempts by the
Acting DHS Secretary, Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Acting Commissioner of CBP. or the White House to limit the inspector
general's independence or ability to follow the facts of investigations
wherever they lead.
The horrid treatment of children and families is the direct result of
President Trump's policies, and we Democrats are committed to holding
the Trump administration accountable. If confirmed, I fully expect Mr.
Cuffari to live up to the personal commitments he made to me.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, in accordance with rule 23 of the Rules of
Procedure of the Committee on Rules and Administration and pursuant to
the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act, on July 25,
2019, the committee adopted the U.S. Senate Congressional
Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act Regulations.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that this material be printed
in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
U.S. Senate Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act
Regulations
adopted by the committee on rules and administration on july 25, 2019
1.0 Reporting by the Office.
1.1 Annual Report Required. The Office shall prepare and
submit to Congress, and publish on the public website of the
Office, an annual report regarding covered payments.
1.2 Contents of Report. With regard to any employing
office for which a covered payment was made in the reporting
period, the report shall include--
1.2.1 except as otherwise provided in section 1.3, the
amount of any covered payment made in the previous calendar
year;
1.2.2 except as otherwise provided in section 1.3, the
reimbursable portion of any covered payment made in the
previous calendar year, if any;
1.2.3 information on the employing office;
1.2.4 each provision of part A of title II of the
Congressional Accountability Act that was the subject of a
claim resulting in any covered payment; and
1.2.5 in the case of a reimbursable portion of any covered
payment, an acknowledgement of whether the Senator or former
Senator has made no reimbursement, partial reimbursement or
complete reimbursement in compliance with the requirement of
section 415(d) of the Act to reimburse the account.
1.3 Reporting Periods and Dates. The reporting under this
section--
1.3.1 for 2019, shall be submitted by the 270th day after
the date of enactment of the Congressional Accountability Act
of 1995 Reform Act and shall include any covered payments
made in calendar year 2019 as of date of the report;
1.3.2 for 2020, shall be submitted by January 31, 2020,
and shall reflect covered payments made in calendar year 2019
and not previously reported; and
1.3.3 for each subsequent year, shall be submitted by
January 31 of that year and shall reflect covered payments
made in the previous calendar year.
2.0 Reimbursement by Senators of Amounts Paid as
Settlements and Awards.
2.1 Initial Notice. Within 5 business days of a covered
payment that includes a reimbursable portion of any covered
payment, the Office shall provide written notice to the
Committee on Rules and Administration and the Senator or
former Senator who has an obligation under section 415(d) of
the Act to reimburse the account for the reimbursable portion
of any covered payment of the date the covered payment was
made and the amount of the reimbursable portion of any
covered payment.
2.2 Agreement to Reimburse.
2.2.1 Within 30 days of a covered payment, the Senator
shall submit a written agreement to the Office specifying the
manner in which the Senator will reimburse the account for
the reimbursable portion of any covered payment.
2.2.2 The agreement to reimburse shall designate--
2.2.2.A amounts payable through payments directly from the
Senator, withholding from the Senator's compensation and
transfers from the Senator's Thrift Savings Fund; and
2.2.2.B the timing of those payments, consistent with the
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and subsection 2.2.3
of these regulations.
2.2.3 All payments under the agreement to reimburse must be
made within 270 days of the covered payment.
2.3 Notice of Agreement. Within 2 business days of
submission of the agreement to reimburse, the Office shall
provide a copy of the
[[Page S5137]]
agreement to reimburse to the Committee on Rules and
Administration and, if the agreement specifies withholding,
the Senate Disbursing Office.
2.4 Failure to Enter into Agreement to Reimburse.
2.4.1 Should a Senator fail to enter into an agreement to
reimburse within 30 days of the covered payment, the Office
shall notify the Committee on Rules and Administration and
the Senate Disbursing Office within 2 business days.
2.4.2 After receiving notice pursuant to subsection 2.4.1,
the Committee on Rules and Administration, the Senate
Disbursing Office and the Office shall determine a
reimbursement schedule for the Senator within 60 days of the
covered payment.
2.4.3 The Office shall provide a copy of the reimbursement
schedule to the Senator within 2 business days.
2.5 Changes to Reimbursement Agreement. Nothing in these
regulations shall prohibit a Senator from making additional
reimbursement payments. If the Office receives additional
reimbursement payments from a Senator, the Office shall
adjust the agreement to reimburse and provide notice pursuant
to section 2.3.
2.6 Garnishment or Other Collection of Wages. Pursuant to
section 415(d)(4) of the Act, at the expiration of the 270-
day period which begins on the date of the covered payment,
the Office shall transfer any remaining reimbursable amounts
to the Secretary of the Treasury for garnishment or other
collection of wages as permitted by the Act.
2.7 Final Disposition of Reimbursement. The Office shall
provide the Committee on Rules and Administration with a copy
of the certification that reimbursement is complete pursuant
to the Act, or a copy of the transfer to the Secretary of
Treasury under section 2.6.
3.0 Definitions.
For the purposes of these Regulations, the following terms
shall have the meaning specified--
3.1 Account. The term ``account'' refers to the account
described in section 415(a) of the Act.
3.2 Act. The term ``Act'' refers to the Congressional
Accountability Act of 1995.
3.3 Covered Payment. The term ``covered payment'' refers
to a payment from the account that was the result of claims
alleging a violation of part A of title II of the Act.
3.4 Employing Office. The term ``employing office'' refers
to any Senate office described in subparagraphs (A) through
(C) of section 101(a)(9) of the Act.
3.5 Information on the Employing Office. The term
``information on the employing office'' refers to, in the
case of an award or in the case of a settlement where
reimbursement is required under section 416(d)(3)(C) of the
Act, the name of the employing office. In the case of a
settlement where reimbursement is not required under section
416(d)(3)(C) of the Act, ``information on the employing
office'' refers to the employing office as described in
subparagraphs (A) though (C) of section 101(a)(9) of the Act.
3.6 Office. The term ``Office'' refers to the Office of
Congressional Workplace Rights.
3.7 Reimbursable Portion of any Covered Payment. The term
``reimbursable portion of any covered payment'' refers to the
portion of a covered payment for which a Senator is required
to reimburse the account pursuant to section 415(d)(1) of the
Act.
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