Press Releases

Rep. Balint Participates in First Oversight Committee Hearing 

Washington, D.C – Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) joins the first Oversight Committee in her first committee hearing of the 118th Congress. The Committee held a hearing entitled “Federal Pandemic Spending: A Prescription for Waste, Fraud and Abuse.” 

Rep. Balint and Oversight Democrats questioned witnesses to ensure federal dollars were used most effectively and efficiently to provide emergency relief to those who needed it most. In 2020, Congress passed the $3.3 trillion in the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Programs like expanded unemployment insurance benefits, through the American Rescue Plan, helped keep 6.7 million people above the poverty line in 2021. These federal programs saved lives and helped American families recover from the economic crisis. 

“At the heart of this hearing has been a false choice between ease of access to government assistance when disaster strikes…and making sure people get the help they need. This is about real people; this is about real families. It’s about desperate people needing assistance,” said Rep. Balint in her questioning. 

“What I know is getting the money out quickly to people desperately in need saved lives in every community in my home state,” continued Rep. Balint. 

Witnesses included:    The Honorable Michael Horowitz, Chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, The Honorable Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General of the GAO, David Smith, the Assistant Director of Investigations at the US Secret Service and Rebecca Dixon, Executive Director of The National Employment Law Project.                                                      

Download video of Rep. Balint’s questioning here.