Oversight and Accountability

Summary of Position

Americans deserve an efficient and effective government that meets the needs of hardworking families, now and into the future. As a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee (COR) Congressman DeSaulnier strives to rebuild public trust in government through transparency, accountability, and a higher-level of customer service as well as to hold private industry accountable to consumers.

By the Numbers

  • Only 17% of the United States public has trust in the federal government
     
  • COR held 42 hearings to investigate wrongdoing by the Trump Administration, including into President Trump’s attempts to enrich himself through the presidency, suppress voting rights, and attack immigrant communities 

Things to Know

  • Winner of the 2019 non-partisan Democracy Awards for Transparency and Accountability.

  • Long-time advocate of policies that reduce the public health impacts of tobacco products, most recently sponsoring legislation to hold e-cigarette companies accountable for their role in the youth vaping crisis and halt the sale of these products until the FDA certifies their safety.

  • Supported the For the People Act (H.R. 1), which would shore up state and local election security, expand the ban on foreign spending on U.S. elections, and establish stricter campaign finance reporting requirements.

Working for You

Fighting Against Trump Administration Ethics Violations
From the day he was sworn into office, President Trump violated the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. Congressman DeSaulnier has been an active voice in explaining why that is dangerous for the American people. While the President may have been acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial, the House’s work to hold his Administration accountable is far from over.

Protecting Election Security
After the concerns raised by Russian cyberattacks in the 2016 Presidential election, Congressman DeSaulnier has worked diligently with his colleagues on COR to address the national security implications of foreign intervention in our elections. Due to his work with like-minded colleagues on this topic, COR has held several hearings to promote transparency and security of our election systems moving forward and experts have said that the 2020 elections were the most secure in our nation’s history.

Improving United States Postal Service
The Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine the Postal Service have threatened the livelihoods and voting rights of millions of Americans. Congressman DeSaulnier joined his colleagues on COR to demand answers and hold Postmaster General DeJoy to account for the operational changes he implemented to the Postal Service that delayed mail and disenfranchised American voters. Congressman DeSaulnier is a proud sponsor of the Delivering for America Act (H.R. 8015), which would reverse the recent changes that resulted in delayed deliveries and infuse the U.S. Postal Service with $25 billion.
 
Holding Big Pharma Accountable for their Role in the Opioid Epidemic
Since his time in the California State Legislature, Congressman DeSaulnier has been leading the charge to hold Purdue Pharma and their owners, the Sackler family, accountable for fueling the opioid epidemic by knowingly misleading the public about the dangers of their drug, OxyContin. Their callousness and greed has led to countless deaths and Congressman DeSaulnier is committed to bringing them to justice through his work on the Oversight Committee.

For a downloadable copy of Mark's oversight work, click the image below: