[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 113 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4484-H4485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATING HENDERSON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' SOFTBALL TEAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Comer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Henderson County 
High School girls' softball team on an amazing season and their first-
ever State championship.
  The Lady Colonels won the title in a dominating fashion by a final 
score of 11-0.
  This State title capped an impressive season. The team notched 36 
wins and recorded multiple school records, including highest batting 
average, most hits, most runs scored, most singles, most doubles, most 
RBIs, and most stolen bases.
  Three players on the Henderson County team were also named to the 
All-Tournament Team. This is an amazing accomplishment for Henderson 
County High School, for the program, the community, and I am so honored 
to represent this great community in west Kentucky.
  I again congratulate the Henderson County girls' softball team on 
their first-ever State championship.


                         Conflicts of Interest

  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the new bill that 
I filed titled the ``Presidential Ethics Reform Act.''
  This bill is a bipartisan bill that I have filed with Representative 
Katie Porter from California. The American people are skeptical about 
whether government officials actually work in the public interest, 
regardless of which party they are in.
  This bill would require Presidents and Vice Presidents to disclose 
foreign payments, family gifts, family loans, family use of government 
travel, and tax returns.
  Increasing transparency is a key step to restoring trust in the 
government. Let the American people see for themselves whether or not 
there are conflicts of interest with their leadership.
  Both parties have complained about previous administrations having 
conflicts of interest, especially among

[[Page H4485]]

their immediate family members. That is why Representative Porter and I 
have filed this piece of legislation.
  To summarize, let me go through what the Presidential Ethics Reform 
Act actually does.
  First of all, it requires Presidents and Vice Presidents to disclose 
payments, transfers, or other items of value from foreign sources 
received by themselves or immediate family members within 2 years 
before taking office, during their time in office, and for 2 years 
after leaving office.
  This bill requires Presidents and Vice Presidents to disclose 
conflicts of interest upon taking office and throughout their time in 
office.
  This bill requires Presidents and Vice Presidents to disclose gifts 
valued at more than $10,000 received from or by immediate family 
members within 2 years before taking office, during their time in 
office, and for 2 years after leaving office.
  This bill requires Presidents and Vice Presidents to disclose loans 
or loan repayments made to them by an immediate family member of any 
amount or received by an immediate family member from any source, 
except commercial loans, for over $10,000 within 2 years before taking 
office, during their time in office, and for 2 years after leaving 
office.
  This bill requires Presidents and Vice Presidents to disclose when 
immediate family members accompany the President or Vice President on 
official travel, specifying when they do so, and whether or not it is 
for business purposes.
  Finally, the Presidential Ethics Reform Act requires Presidents and 
Vice Presidents to disclose tax returns for the 2 years preceding their 
time in office, during their time in office, and for the 2 years 
following their departure from office.

  Mr. Speaker, I believe that this ethics bill will address all the 
concerns that Members of both parties and members of both the 
conservative and liberal media have had about this administration, the 
previous administration, and administrations prior to the last 
administration.
  When I announced the Biden influence pedaling investigation in 
November of 2022 when it was apparent that the House was going to flip 
from Democrat to Republican, I said two things about that investigation 
that I hoped would be accomplished: number one, that the American 
people would be given the truth about just exactly what the Biden 
family has been doing in their family schemes, and I believe we have 
provided that; and, secondly, we were going to pass legislation to 
define influence pedaling and prevent it from happening in the future.
  That is what the Presidential Ethics Reform Act does today. I am 
pleased to file this bill in a bipartisan manner with my colleague 
Katie Porter.

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