The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Contract and Reporting Act of 2021, introduced by Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01).
The goal of the legislation is to provide both Congress and American citizens a better understanding of how DHS decides to utilize taxpayer funds, increasing transparency.
“Today, I have delivered on my promise to play a part in holding the Biden administration accountable on their self-inflicted border crisis,” said Congresswoman Harshbarger in a statement. “The DHS Contract and Reporting Act will require transparent reporting on contract awards granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security so we taxpayers know how our federal tax dollars are being spent. This is important given the disturbing lack of transparency by Biden’s DHS on where migrants are going once they’re released into the United States, including those here in Tennessee. With greater transparency comes greater accountability. The Biden Administration must stop acting in secrecy.”
Specifically, the bill would instruct DHS to publish a public, daily report of all headquarters and component contracts related to the agency that exceeds $4 million.
Harshbarger introduced the legislation after DHS faced heavy scrutiny for its role in the ongoing crisis at the southern border and relocating migrant children to various locations throughout the country — an attempt to relieve overcrowding at processing facilities along the border.
As the bill continued through the legislative process, it maintained bipartisan support, with two Democratic and one other Republican cosponsor: Representatives Elaine Luria (D-VA-02), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08), and John Katko (R-NY-24).
The DHS Contract and Reporting Act of 2021, which is the first bill sponsored by Congresswoman Harshbarger to pass the House of Representatives, will head to the Senate for additional approval.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
