Committee Republicans Vote Down Amendment to “Drain the Swamp”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today during the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 119th Congress Organizing Meeting, Republicans rejected an amendment to the Committee Rules offered by Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) to increase transparency into potential financial conflicts of interests a witness testifying before the Committee may have. This amendment would complement other changes the Republicans made to the Committee Rules for the 119th Congress that require disclosure of payments or contributions from foreign adversaries to witnesses testifying before the Committee.   

“Today's vote demonstrates that Committee Republicans prioritize transparency and accountability only when it aligns with their ideology,” said Ranking Member Takano. “My amendment would have simply ensured that our Committee, the public, and most importantly, veterans, are fully informed of the financial influences on organizations that testify before us. As the veteran space becomes increasingly profitable for private industry, we have a responsibility to ensure we know whose interests are informing our policymaking.”  

Ranking Member Takano’s amendment would have required organizations who are invited to testify before this Committee to disclose financial contributions received from any one source in the prior fiscal year that is greater than 10% of that witness organization’s operating budget. Under House Rules, non-governmental witnesses are required to fill out Truth-in-Testimony forms, which already collect information regarding federal funding that witnesses and organizations receive through grants and contracts. Ranking Member Takano’s commonsense amendment would have extended the disclosure requirement to funding from outside sources so that the Committee can have a clear view of the financial incentives that derive an organization’s policy positions on matters on which they are testifying before the Committee. Veterans deserve to know who is funding or otherwise exerting influence on the organizations outside the Department of Veterans Affairs that provide them services or purport to represent their interests.   

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