Transparency in Federal Buildings Projects Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), the ranking member, and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) for their work on the issue, and Chairman DeFazio for his support.

The General Services Administration is required to submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works prospectuses that contain information on proposed public projects for committee consideration.

In recent years, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, as has been mentioned, has posted this information about these projects on its website to provide access to the public and private entities. While the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has become a resource for the public, and even for Federal agencies, this bill, the Transparency in Federal Buildings Projects Act, would require the GSA to make publicly available on its website all prospectuses and associated information, pursuant to the Public Buildings Act.

This sensible reform will ensure that taxpayers have more information about how their hard-earned dollars are being spent and managed. The bill would strengthen transparency and accountability in Federal construction, renovation, and leasing projects, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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