Congressman Cohen Applauds Committee Passage of TVA Salary Transparency Act

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today offered an amended version of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Salary Transparency Act that he and Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-2) introduced last week at a markup of the legislation. The full committee passed the bill by a voice vote, and it is now eligible for consideration by the full House of Representatives.

In his statement, Congressman Cohen said in part:

“Created by Congress in 1933, TVA’s form has shifted over the decades but its stated mission remains ‘serving the people of the Tennessee Valley region, to make life better through our work in energy, the environment and economic development.’

“With innovations in areas like hydroelectric and nuclear power, TVA has done good for the valley. But there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to transparency. Congress may not fund TVA directly anymore, but we did create them, and they are still a part of the federal government…As many on this Committee have heard, I have asked TVA for salary transparency time and time again but have been refused information beyond the five highest-paid employees included in their annual SEC disclosure.

“Over the years, I have been suspicious of TVA’s hiring and compensation practices. That is the kind of problem that could benefit from some Congressional oversight. I believe in TVA’s mission to make life better for people in the Tennessee Valley, I just think it has strayed from that purpose in some ways.

“The TVA Salary Transparency Act is the first step in what I hope will be a better direction for TVA, one that will put it closer in line with its public service mission. This bill, which reinstates and updates Congress’ access to salary information on TVA’s upper-level employees, will allow this committee to better fulfill its duty of government oversight.

“A vote for this bill is a vote for a more transparent, more accountable, better TVA.”

See the entire speech here.

Congressman Burchett, the Committee’s Ranking Member, Rick Larsen, and Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Chairman David Rouzer also spoke in favor of the measure.

Section 9(a) of the TVA Act of 1933 required TVA to submit an annual financial statement to Congress that included information on the duties and salaries of certain TVA employees. That reporting obligation was eliminated as part of the Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset Act of 1995, a comprehensive Congressional effort to reduce governmental reporting requirements. Since that time, TVA has had no legal obligation to disclose to Congress or the public any information on its management structure or the level of compensation for TVA’s executives, managers, and board members.

The TVA Salary Transparency Act would reinstate and modernize TVA’s annual reporting requirement to Congress on its management structure and on the compensation of its top executives and managers. The amended version makes two key changes: (1) refocus the bill to require Congressional disclosure of managers, executives, and board members of TVA, including names, job descriptions, and compensation; and (2)  prevent the automatic disclosure of the salaries of TVA managers, executives, and board members through the requirements of the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (Pub. L. 117-263)

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