Chairman Comer Delivers Opening Remarks at Organizational Meeting

WASHINGTON– House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today delivered opening remarks at the committee’s organizational meeting for the 118th Congress, where the committee will adopt its official rules.

“We will be returning this Committee to its core mission: To ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being mismanaged, abused, or wasted, to shine a light in the darkness of the federal bureaucracy to prevent corruption and self-dealing, and to make sure our federal government is working efficiently for the American people,” Chairman Comer said.

Below are Chairman Comer’s remarks as prepared for delivery.

Welcome everyone to the organizational meeting of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

I am honored to be the Chairman of the Oversight and Accountability Committee this Congress.

We will be returning this Committee to its core mission: To ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being mismanaged, abused, or wasted. 

To shine a light in the darkness of the federal bureaucracy to prevent corruption and self-dealing.

To make sure our federal government is working efficiently for the American people.

For this meeting, we will be proceeding as follows:

First, Ranking Member Raskin and I will introduce our new Members.

Then, we will officially adopt the Committee Rules.

I want to welcome all our returning Members. It’s great to have you again this Congress. I want to also welcome back to the Committee: Chairman Mike Turner from Ohio, Congressman Gary Palmer from Alabama, Congressman Kelly Armstrong from North Dakota and Congressman Paul Gosar from Arizona.  Lastly, I want to welcome our new Members to the Committee. They hail from all parts of our great country:

• Scott Perry (PA)
• William Timmons (SC)
• Tim Burchett (TN)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA)
• Lisa McClain (MI)
• Lauren Boebert (CO)
• Russell Fry (SC)
• Anna Paulina Luna (FL)
• Chuck Edwards (NC)
• Nick Langworthy NY)
• Eric Burlison (MO)

Welcome to the Oversight Committee, which is the best Committee to serve on in the House of Representatives.

We are really glad you are on our Committee and look forward to working with each and every one of you this Congress.

With that, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, to introduce his Members.

Chairman Comer continued.

We now move to consider our committee rules. The rules package before you is substantially the same as last Congress with only a few changes.

Those changes include the following:

First, I want to highlight Rule 6 which outlines our new subcommittees and their jurisdictions. Through these subcommittees, we will once again focus on the priorities of the American people.

Second, we are including a change to allow members of the Committee to participate in subcommittee and select subcommittee hearings at the discretion of the Chair.

Lastly, to align our deposition authority rule with House Rules, we made clear that a witness can only bring two personal, nongovernmental attorneys to the deposition to advise them of their rights.

Before I yield to Ranking Member Raskin, I want to thank the Ranking Member and his staff for providing their feedback to our rules.

I know we did not come to an agreement on all the suggested edits, but I know we will be able to find a bipartisan solution on the items not reflected in the Committee rules.

With that, I yield to Ranking Member Raskin for his opening statement on the rules.