Washington, D.C. (September 2, 2021)—Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement after the Committee voted favorably to approve a Committee Print to implement the instructions

provided by S. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2022:

“Climate change affects us all, and we cannot wait another moment to take decisive action and stop catastrophic damage to our planet.  I am proud that today, the Committee approved historic funding to electrify government vehicles, fund environmental justice, and move towards a greener future for the American people.  I look forward to continue working with the Biden Administration and our House and Senate partners to pass this critical legislation.”

With tackling climate change at the forefront of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, this legislation features substantial funding for electrifying the federal government’s vehicle fleets.  This action will reduce America’s carbon output and dependence on fossil fuels, help transition the country to renewable energy resources, and make the federal government a leader on fighting climate change.

The legislation will:

• Provide critical funding to electrify the General Services Administration and United States Postal Service vehicle fleets by providing $12 billion to:

• • Position the federal government as a leader in modernizing vehicles to reduce carbon output;
  • Build charging stations and support infrastructure across the country; and
  • Take a major step towards a fully electric future for federal vehicles.

• Speed the processing of veterans’ record requests by providing $60 million in funding to the National Archives and Records Administration to clear backlogs made worse by COVID-19, improve cybersecurity, and promote transparency of federal and presidential records.

• Bring new resources to the communities hit hardest by pollution by providing $4 million in funding to the Office of Management and Budget to implement President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which commits 40% of the benefits of climate and infrastructure investments to those suffering from environmental injustice.

• Increase transparency and accountability by providing $50 million in funding to inspectors general and the Government Accountability Office to support oversight of funds provided by this bill.

The Oversight Committee’s markup also provides crucial funding to improve cybersecurity and modernize federal technology in order to better serve the American people.  This funding includes:

• $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund to modernize high-priority systems.
• $2 billion for the Federal Citizen Services Fund to improve federal cybersecurity and the delivery of critical services to the American people.
• $350 million for information technology oversight and reform initiatives at the Office of Management and Budget.  This includes the U.S. Digital Service, which supports critical technology projects like the upcoming Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.

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