As part of a larger effort to improve government transparency and keep the constituents of Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District informed of current legislative business, I send out updates at the beginning of each Session week as an overview of legislative matters to be addressed. This week, the U.S. House will consider my bipartisan legislation to reduce wasteful spending at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

The DHS SAVE ACT

        The Department of Homeland Security Stop Asset and Vehicle Excess Act, or the DHS SAVE Act (H.R. 366), requires the Under Secretary of Management for DHS to improve management of its vehicle fleet. In October 2015, the DHS Inspector General (IG) released a scathing report of the Federal Protective Service (FPS) management of its vehicle fleet. The IG found that FPS had more vehicles than officers, and officers were authorized to drive to and from work with government-owned vehicles. According to the IG, FPS wasted more than $2.5 million in FY14 on its vehicle fleet due to numerous management failures.

       In December 2015, the Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee, which I chair, convened a hearing to further examine findings of the IG’s report. The American taxpayer deserves much better than what was outlined in the IG’s report. The management failures demonstrate a culture of waste by DHS regarding taxpayer money, which is reprehensible and unacceptable. My bill takes a step in the right direction to change this culture. With the second largest civilian vehicle fleet in the Federal government, DHS must have stricter controls in place at the headquarters level in order to rein in rogue components. Every dollar wasted on mismanagement is one less that goes to actually protecting the public. You can learn more about my bill here.

House Foreign Affairs Hearing