Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, S. 1941, the Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization Act, or MAPS Act, is a technical but important bill.

Maintaining government-wide statistical standards may seem mundane, but these standards have real-world consequences. We saw this last year when the Office of Management and Budget tried to make updates to the definition of core-based statistical areas. Out of the 734 public comments submitted, 712 comments opposed definitional change. As a result, the Office of Management and Budget delayed its proposed recommendation.

Municipalities and other organizations should not feel caught off guard by standards changes in the future. The MAPS Act will help provide transparency if the Office of Management and Budget tries to revise core-based statistical area standards in the future.

This bill will provide better visibility into how these statistical standards are used in Federal domestic assistance programs to determine funding eligibility; and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Rural Health Association, and the National Association of Counties all agree that this legislation is needed.

I thank Senators Rob Portman and Jerry Moran, as well as Chairman Gary Peters, for moving this bipartisan bill through the Senate.

I also take a moment to thank Carolyn Maloney, the chairwoman, and Ranking Member James Comer for advancing this legislation through the House Oversight Committee. I support this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no further speakers, then I am prepared to close.

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Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1941 will provide transparency into the Office of Management and Budget's work in the area of statistical standards. This bill does not restrict OMB from continuing its work keeping important statistical standards up to date. Instead, it provides transparency into future revisions of core-based statistical area standards. It also provides visibility into use of such standards in Federal domestic assistance programs.

I once again encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 1941, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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