Transportation & infrastructure Committee

The Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management conducts oversight of programs addressing the federal management of emergencies and natural disasters, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security’s other disaster management responsibilities; the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act and its mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery programs; the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act; the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act; and several first responder programs.

The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over public buildings, federal real estate programs and the Public Buildings Service (PBS) of the General Services Administration (GSA), which is the civilian landlord of the federal government. This includes the authorization and oversight of planning, site and design, construction, acquisition, and renovation of public buildings, courthouses, and border facilities, and the leasing of space for federal employees.

The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over agencies and programs promoting economic development in communities suffering economic distress, such as the Economic Development Administration, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Denali Commission, and several other commissions.

A priority of the Subcommittee in the 115th Congress is reauthorization of FEMA that includes important reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal emergency management capabilities and disaster programs, modernize and strengthen critical components of our preparedness and response system, and support emergency response personnel.

Another priority of the Subcommittee is a General Services Administration (GSA) reform bill to enable the agency to better facilitate federal office space consolidations, reduce space, and negotiate the best possible lease deals.  Improved management of federal real estate has the potential to save billions of dollars for the taxpayers.

Ensuring that we can more efficiently respond to disasters and reduce the costs of repairing our infrastructure, as well as bringing the management of federal property into line with more current business principles, will be keys to a 21st century infrastructure for America.

Issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee include: