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The House passed H.R. 144, which requires the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide Congress with detailed salary information for its top executives while keeping that data private from the public.
H.R. 144, the Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act, aims to increase congressional oversight of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federally owned corporation. The bill requires the TVA to submit reports to Congress listing the names, job titles, and salaries of all management and board members who earn more than the maximum pay for a GS-15 federal employee. Crucially, while the bill mandates this reporting to lawmakers, it includes provisions that keep this information confidential and exempt from public disclosure requests. This vote was conducted under a procedure called 'suspension of the rules.' In the House, this is a common way to pass bills that have significant support from both parties. Because it bypasses the usual committee hurdles and speeds up the process, it requires a higher 'supermajority' of two-thirds of those voting to pass, rather than just a simple majority of over half. With 423 members voting in favor, the bill far exceeded the required threshold to pass. The legislation now moves to the Senate for further debate. If it eventually becomes law, it will establish new reporting requirements for the TVA while simultaneously shielding those specific financial details from the general public's view under laws like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. The bill creates a balance between increased congressional oversight of a major government corporation and the privacy of individual employees. While it increases transparency for lawmakers, it explicitly restricts transparency for the general public regarding specific salary details.
Who’s affected. TVA Executives: Their specific salary and job duty details will now be reported directly to Congress. · The Public: Taxpayers are legally barred from accessing these specific salary reports through standard records requests like FOIA. · Congress: Lawmakers receive more granular data to oversee the financial management of a federally owned utility.
Democrats. The Democratic caucus was almost entirely in favor of the measure, providing 201 'yea' votes.
Republicans. The Republican caucus provided strong support for the bill with 181 'yea' votes.
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
Jan 15, 2025
The House passed H.R.
144, which requires the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide Congress with detailed salary information for its top executives while keeping that data private from the public.
A 'suspension of the rules' is a fast-track procedure used for bills that have broad support. It limits debate and prevents amendments, but requires a higher threshold of two-thirds of those voting to pass rather than a simple majority.
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The bill creates a balance between increased congressional oversight of a major government corporation and the privacy of individual employees. While it increases transparency for lawmakers, it explicitly restricts transparency for the general public regarding specific salary details.
The vote was overwhelmingly bipartisan, easily meeting the high two-thirds requirement for passage under suspension of the rules.
The Democratic caucus was almost entirely in favor of the measure, providing 201 'yea' votes.
The Republican caucus provided strong support for the bill with 181 'yea' votes.
The single independent member present voted in favor of the bill.