Joseph D. Morelle

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026. I thank my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) for introducing it. The Government Publishing Office is a critical part of the legislative branch. Without it, Congress simply could not legislate, issue reports, or adequately conduct many of its constitutional responsibilities. It provides the public with one of the essentials of democracy: access to authoritative, accurate information. The statutes governing the government printing office, or GPO, have seen modest updates over the years, including the name change from the government printing office, which I probably said in mistake, to the Government Publishing Office, but much of the law still predates the digital era. This bill further modernizes those statutes, streamlines GPO's operations, and improves public access to government information. I support these efforts which will help strengthen the GPO's capacity and, in turn, Congress' capacity to do its work. Among other things, the bill updates the Federal Depository Library Program, or FDLP, to more effectively provide free, equitable, and convenient public access to government information. For example, it will allow depository libraries to substitute digital copies of government documents for hard copies. Doing so will free up much-needed physical space in libraries and let libraries without room on their shelves take part in the program and continue to serve the public. This bill also includes several improvements to GPO operations, including its procurement authorities and certain personnel policies. Together with the other legislation we are considering today to reform how the GPO Director is appointed, these changes will strengthen the agency and its ability to serve Congress and the public. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Bice for her leadership. I support the legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.