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 Ethics Committee and former member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 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 22% of the United States public has trust in the federal government.
- Under Democratic leadership, the Oversight Committee 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 non-partisan Democracy Awards for Transparency and Accountability and Constituent Accountability and Accessibility.
- Long-time advocate of policies that reduce the public health impacts of tobacco products, including by 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, 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
The House Ethics Committee is a bipartisan committee, consisting of 10 members, evenly divided by party. The Committee is charged with answering questions and providing ethics training to House Members, officers, and employees; investigating and adjudicating any alleged violations of the House rules or any related statutes by House Members, officers, or employees; and reviewing financial disclosure statements filed by Members, candidates, senior staff, and shared staff. During this time of historically low levels of trust in government, Congressman DeSaulnier’s work on the Ethics Committee is critical to ensuring that our elected representatives prioritize their work on behalf of the American people each day.
Protecting Election Security
After the concerns raised by Russian cyberattacks in the 2016 Presidential election, Congressman DeSaulnier worked diligently with his colleagues on the Oversight Committee to address the national security implications of foreign intervention in our elections. Due to his work with like-minded colleagues on this topic, the Committee 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 the 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 Its 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 have led to countless deaths and Congressman DeSaulnier is committed to bringing them to justice.
For a downloadable copy of Mark's oversight work, click here:
