[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 17, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5087-H5089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TARGETING RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED ACT OF 2022
Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1119,
I call up the bill (H.R. 6531) to provide an increased allocation of
funding under certain programs for assistance in areas of persistent
poverty, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate
consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1119, an
amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules
Committee Print 117-44, modified by the amendment printed in part A of
House Report 117-325, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is
considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
H.R. 6531
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Targeting Resources to
Communities in Need Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. INCREASING SHARE OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO AREAS OF
PERSISTENT POVERTY AND OTHER HIGH-POVERTY
AREAS.
(a) Increasing Share of Federal Resources.--
(1) Guidance and measures to increase federal
investments.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with
Federal agencies, shall implement guidance to increase the
share of Federal investments targeted to--
(A) areas of persistent poverty; and
(B) other areas of high and persistent poverty that the
Director, in consultation with Federal agencies, determines
to be appropriate.
(2) Guidance for agencies.--Not later than 120 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue
guidance to Federal agencies identifying--
(A) the scope and type of programs subject to the guidance
and measures required by paragraph (1);
(B) the share of Federal investments to be targeted to the
areas described under paragraph (1);
(C) the manner in which Federal investments are to be
targeted to the areas described under paragraph (1); and
(D) measures to track the Federal investments targeted to
the areas described under paragraph (1) over time.
(3) Investment amount.--In developing the guidance and
measures under paragraph (1), the Director shall include a
minimum goal that Federal investments targeted to areas of
persistent poverty or other areas with high and persistent
poverty be in an amount that is greater than the amount that
is proportional to the population of such areas in the United
States relative to the population of the United States as a
whole.
(4) Reports to congress.--The Director, in consultation
with Federal agencies, shall submit each fiscal year to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes--
(A) a list of the programs, by agency, under which the
amount of Federal funds targeted to areas described under
paragraph (1) were increased in the previous fiscal year, in
accordance with such paragraph; and
(B) for each program listed under subparagraph (A)--
(i) the amount of funds that were targeted under the
program to an area of persistent poverty or other area with
high and persistent poverty during the previous fiscal year;
(ii) the percent change from the fiscal year before the
previous fiscal year in the amount of funds that were
targeted under the program toward an area of persistent
poverty or other area with high and persistent poverty; and
(iii) to the extent practicable, an assessment of the
economic impact of the program on the area, including data on
the categories of individuals impacted by the targeting of
funds to such areas under the program, disaggregated by
household income, race, gender, age, national origin,
disability status, and whether the individuals live in an
urban area, suburban area, or rural area.
(b) Publication of List of Areas of Persistent Poverty.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Bureau of the Census shall publish
a list of all areas of persistent poverty.
(2) Update.--The Bureau of the Census shall update annually
the list published under paragraph (1).
(c) GAO Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than two years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall provide to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report on the effectiveness of the measures
implemented under subsection (a), including an assessment
regarding the impact of increasing Federal investments spent
in areas of persistent poverty and other areas with high and
persistent poverty.
(2) Subsequent reports.--Not later than 10 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall provide at least two subsequent reports
(as described in paragraph (1)) to the appropriate committees
of Congress.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated for fiscal year 2023, $5,000,000 for
salaries and expenses (including for entering contracts with
non-Federal persons) to carry out this Act.
(e) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on the
Budget, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on the
Budget, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on
Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives; and
(C) any other committee of Congress that has jurisdiction
over an agency with a role developing or implementing
measures under subsection (a).
(2) Area of persistent poverty.--The term ``area of
persistent poverty'' means an area that is a high-poverty
census tract or a persistent poverty county.
(3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
(4) High-poverty census tract.--The term ``high-poverty
census tract'' means a census tract that has a poverty rate
of not less than 20 percent in the most recent American
Community Survey 5-year data published by the Bureau of the
Census, and in the case of areas where no such data is
collected from the American Community Survey, such term
includes a census tract with a poverty rate of not less than
20 percent in the most recent decennial census of population
conducted by the Bureau.
(5) Persistent poverty county.--The term ``persistent
poverty county'' means--
(A) a county, parish, or other equivalent county division
(as determined by the Bureau of the Census) with a poverty
rate of not less than 20 percent in the Small Area Income and
Poverty Estimates by the Bureau of the Census in at least 25
of the last 30 years, including the most recent year for
which the estimates are available; or
(B) for areas where Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
are not available, a county, parish, or equivalent level of
geography, with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent in
at least 25 of the last 30 years, including the most recent
year for which an estimate is available, as determined by the
Bureau of the Census.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for
1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform or their respective
designees.
The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown) and the gentleman from Kentucky
(Mr. Comer) each will control 30 minutes.
[[Page H5088]]
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio.
General Leave
Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 6531.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6531, the
Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act. H.R. 6531 is a
bipartisan bill introduced by Majority Whip Clyburn and Representative
Hal Rogers.
According to the latest decennial Census statistics, 37 million
people in our country live in poverty. H.R. 6531 takes an important and
commonsense step to addressing persistent poverty in the United States.
As we know, poverty is a very real issue and is experienced by
Americans of all backgrounds in communities across the country.
The bill before us would provide additional transparency about places
that face persistent poverty and would direct increased investments to
those areas.
H.R. 6531 would require the Census Bureau to publish a list of all
areas of persistent poverty, and the Office of Management and Budget
would work with agencies to ensure that program investments get to the
places that need them most.
The bill also fosters accountability by requiring annual reports to
Congress about qualifying program investments and their economic
impacts.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting our
fellow Americans through this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 6531, directs the Office of Management and Budget
to lead a government-wide effort to review the share of Federal funds
addressing poverty across agencies. Specifically, OMB must issue
guidance to Federal agencies to increase the share of Federal
investments targeting to areas of high and persistent poverty.
Additionally, the bill directs the Census Bureau to annually publish
a list of all persistent poverty areas. The legislation intends to
produce a consistent listing of areas of persistent poverty for
agencies to use in determining funding allocations.
The Federal Government currently spends an enormous amount of
taxpayer funds on low-income populations. You may ask: Exactly how much
taxpayer funds does the Government spend on low-income populations?
Well, I can tell you from being a minority member of the House
Oversight and Reform Committee that I can't get you that answer because
the Democrats on the Oversight and Reform Committee have produced
absolutely zero oversight during the entire Biden administration.
Despite the excessive spending on that side of the aisle, Madam
Speaker, we have had basically zero oversight of taxpayer funds on the
House Oversight and Reform Committee.
{time} 2100
That is important that such funding decisions appropriately balance
the needs of rural communities across America that have been left
behind and are experiencing prolonged struggles with poverty.
Again, I want to remind my friends across the aisle that those of us
on this side of the aisle believe that the best way to get out of
poverty is to create an environment where people living in poverty have
access to good-paying jobs.
But the old model that is the government model that continues to be
espoused by my friends on the other side of the aisle is more
government programs to help those who currently reside in poverty.
Madam Speaker, that is a summary of the bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New Mexico (Ms. Herrell).
Ms. HERRELL. Madam Speaker, we have heard heartfelt discussions today
about how Federal taxpayer dollars should be targeted toward poverty
assistance. I am also concerned about Federal agencies' current ability
to administer Federal programs efficiently and effectively.
Under the pandemic, we witnessed an unprecedented reliance on
telework across the Federal Government. This reliance on telework has
been to the detriment of the Nation's taxpayers who rely on Federal
agencies.
These are our constituents who are struggling to face out-of-control
spending, inflation, scarcity of goods, and other hardships, while
Federal workers receive perk after perk from Democrats in Congress.
My House colleagues are all aware of the problems their constituents
have faced getting Federal agencies to process the necessary paperwork.
There are numerous examples of backlogs at agencies like Social
Security and the Internal Revenue Service.
In my own district, energy producers are struggling to get permits to
drill approved due, in part, to Bureau of Land Management field offices
only having 25 percent of their staff in the office at one time.
Even our veterans have been facing trouble accessing records of their
service to receive the medical care and benefits they are entitled to.
Let's be clear: Federal employees not being in the workplace has hurt
the government's ability to achieve its mission. House Republicans have
fought hard to find out just how much expanded telework has hurt
agencies' ability to deliver to our constituents, and we have tried to
get this information, but to no avail.
Recently, the House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer
wrote to the administration requesting information on Federal workforce
return-to-work policies. Last year, my colleague, Jody Hice, the
ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee's Government
Operations Subcommittee, led oversight letters to the inspectors
general of the largest agencies, requesting details on how telework has
impacted agency missions. The committee has not received adequate
responses to our inquiries.
We will offer a solution to this problem as a motion to recommit. If
we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on
Oversight and Reform to consider an amendment to require Federal
agencies to immediately return to prepandemic levels of telework.
The amendment would also require a governmentwide review of pandemic-
era teleworking policy.
Finally, it would prevent the administration from locking in higher
levels of telework until Congress receives detailed plans on how agency
mission performance would be impacted.
These needed reforms will be included in my bill, the Show Up Act,
which I am introducing later this week.
It is time to get the U.S. Government back to work for the American
people.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the
amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to
recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New Mexico?
There was no objection.
Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I have pretty
much summarized the bill in my opening statement, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 6531,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the
Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022. I thank Whip
Clyburn for leading this bill, and I am proud to be a cosponsor. I also
want to thank Chair Maloney, and the Speaker for moving this
legislation.
As chair of the Majority Leader's Task Force on Poverty and
Opportunity and an appropriator, I have worked with Whip Clyburn to
uplift the 10-20-30 antipoverty formula in legislation.
One hundred forty million people in America are poor or one
healthcare crisis, job loss, or emergency away from economic
desperation. We must prioritize their needs and demands.
Our poverty crisis is the result of political choices. With the
Targeting Resources to
[[Page H5089]]
Communities in Need Act of 2022, we can now choose to take action to
increase the share of Federal investments targeted to areas of high and
persistent poverty.
I urge my colleagues to vote to pass the Targeting Resources to
Communities in Need Act of 2022 to revive our moral and political
commitments to strengthening pathways out of poverty.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The previous question is ordered on the
bill.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
Motion to Recommit
Ms. HERRELL. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Ms. Herrell of New Mexico moves to recommit the bill H.R.
6531 to the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
The material previously referred to by Ms. Herrell is as follows:
Add at the end the following:
TITLE II--SHOW UP ACT OF 2022
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Stopping Home Office
Work's Unproductive Problems Act of 2022'' or the ``SHOW Up
Act of 2022''.
SEC. 102. REINSTATEMENT OF PRE-PANDEMIC TELEWORK POLICIES,
PRACTICES, AND LEVELS FOR EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this
title, each agency shall reinstate and apply the telework
policies, practices, and levels of the agency as in effect on
December 31, 2019, and may not expand any such policy,
practices, or levels until the date that an agency plan is
submitted to Congress with a certification by the Director of
the Office of Personnel Management under section 103.
SEC. 103. STUDY, PLAN, AND CERTIFICATION REGARDING EXECUTIVE
AGENCY TELEWORK POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND LEVELS
FOR EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this title, the head of each agency, in
consultation with the Director, shall submit to Congress--
(1) a study on the impacts on the agency and its mission of
expanding telework by its employees during the SARS-CoV-2
pandemic that commenced in 2019, including an analysis of--
(A) any adverse impacts of that expansion on the agency's
performance of its mission, including the performance of
customer service by the agency;
(B) any costs to the agency during that expansion
attributable to--
(i) owning, leasing, or maintaining under-utilized real
property; or
(ii) paying higher rates of locality pay to teleworking
employees as a result of incorrectly classifying such
employees as teleworkers rather than remote workers;
(C) any degree to which the agency failed during that
expansion to provide teleworking employees with secure
network capacity, communications tools, necessary and secure
access to appropriate agency data assets and Federal records,
and equipment sufficient to enable each such employee to be
fully productive;
(D) any degree to which that expansion facilitated
dispersal of the agency workforce around the Nation; and
(E) any other impacts of that expansion that the agency or
the Director considers appropriate;
(2) any agency plan to expand telework policies, practices,
or levels beyond those in place as a result of section 102;
and
(3) a certification by the Director that such plan will--
(A) have a substantial positive effect on--
(i) the performance of the agency's mission, including the
performance of customer service;
(ii) increasing the level of dispersal of agency personnel
throughout the Nation; and
(iii) the reversal of any adverse impact set forth pursuant
to paragraph (1)(D);
(B) substantially lower the agency's costs of owning,
leasing, or maintaining real property;
(C) substantially lower the agency's costs attributable to
paying locality pay to agency personnel working from
locations outside the pay locality of their position's
official worksite; and
(D) ensure that teleworking employees will be provided with
secure network capacity, communications tools, necessary and
secure access to appropriate agency data assets and Federal
records, and equipment sufficient to enable each such
employee to be fully productive, without substantially
increasing the agency's overall costs for secure network
capacity, communications tools, and equipment.
(b) Limitation.--
(1) In general.--An agency may not implement the plan
submitted under subsection (a)(2) unless a certification by
the Director was issued under subsection (a)(3).
(2) Subsequent plans.--In the event an initial agency plan
submitted under subsection (a)(2) fails to receive such
certification, the agency may submit to the Director
subsequent plans until such certification is received, and
submit such plan and certification to Congress.
(c) Definitions.--In this title--
(1) the term ``agency'' has the meaning given the term
``Executive agency'' in section 105 of title 5, United States
Code;
(2) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Personnel Management;
(3) the term ``locality pay'' means locality pay provided
for under section 5304 or 5304a of such title; and
(4) the terms ``telework'' and ``teleworking'' have the
meaning given those terms in section 6501 of such title, and
include remote work.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. HERRELL. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings are postponed.
____________________