Congressman McCaul Emphasizes Oversight as he is Sworn in to 112th Congress

January 5, 2011

Congressman McCaul Emphasizes Oversight as he is Sworn in to 112^th Congress

McCauls and their five children with Speaker Boehner:
Top (L-R): Jewell McCaul, Speaker John Boehner, Mrs. Linda McCaul, Congressman Michael McCaul, Caroline McCaul
Bottom (L-R): Avery, Michael, Lauren McCaul (triplets)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As he was sworn in for his fourth term, Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX 10) expressed optimism about a new direction for America and emphasized the need for comprehensive oversight of the federal government to ensure efficient operations and use of taxpayer dollars.

“Today begins a new era of listening to the American people and holding government accountable,” said Rep. McCaul.

As the newly-appointed chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigation and Management, Rep. McCaul plans to scrutinize all major aspects of the Department of Homeland Security to identify waste, fraud and abuse, as well as any gaps and unnecessary redundancies in DHS operations including border security, intelligence gathering and risk assessment, air travel and cybersecurity.

“Our first responsibility is to ensure all operations are functioning at a high level to secure the border and prevent terrorist attacks,” said Rep. McCaul. “Scrutinizing every dollar we spend will help to ensure both fiscal and operational effectiveness.”

Throughout the 112^th Congress the subcommittee, which possess subpoena powers, will conduct investigations and hold hearings to assess both the operational and fiscal status of DHS programs. The role of the subcommittee mirrors House Republicans’ commitment to placing greater emphasis on oversight of federal programs which is important to ensuring maximization of taxpayer dollars and resources.

In addition to his committee service, Congressman McCaul will continue his personal efforts to reform Washington and cut wasteful spending. Rep. McCaul has not requested earmarks since 2008 until the process becomes transparent. He played a role implementing last year’s earmark moratorium among House Republicans, which was extended into the new Congress. He has joined fellow House members in cutting his 2011 office budget by five percent. And he applauds changes in House rules implemented by the new Republican majority. Among them:

Bills must cite constitutional authority
Bills must be publicly posted online for three days before a floor vote
Replace “Pay-go” with “cut-go”, requiring members to cut at least as much as any new spending
Strikes the Gephardt rule that automatically allows congress to raise the debt ceiling without a vote
Gives Budget Chairman the power to unilaterally impose budget limits for the current fiscal year

“These are all necessary steps that I believe will increase accountability, help reign in spending and gain back the public’s trust,” said Rep. McCaul.

In addition to the Homeland Security Committee, Congressman McCaul will continue to serve on the Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, and Ethics Committees, and he will continue to play a major role shaping high tech and cybersecurity policy.