Ranking Member Scott to Trump Administration: “Save Everything”
“Any agency employee who ‘willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys’ or attempts any such action against a federal record is subject to fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years.”
WASHINGTON – Today, House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued notices to heads of ten federal departments and agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, reminding them of their obligation under the Federal Records Act of 1950 (FRA) to preserve all records that may be in the public interest.
“As you are aware, the FRA requires all departments and agencies in the Executive Branch to collect, retain, and preserve records that document ‘the transaction of public business’ or contain ‘informational value.’ The FRA’s regulations require the head of each federal agency to ‘make and preserve records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions of the agency,’” wrote Ranking Member Scott.
In his letters, the Ranking Member emphasized the importance of full compliance with the law that allows Congress to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people, noting that federal officials and employees who violate the FRA face criminal penalties, including up to three years in prison. In addition, any federal officeholder convicted of violating the FRA can lose their position and be disqualified from holding future federal office.
“The American people have given Congress a clear mandate to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within the Administration. I request an assurance, in writing, by November 18, 2026, that records, documents, data, or information have not been and will not be concealed, modified, removed, transferred, destroyed, or otherwise rendered inaccessible,” concluded Ranking Member Scott.
To read the full letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Keith E. Sonderling, click here.
To read the full letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, click here.
To read the full letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., click here.
To read the full letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins, click here.
To read the full letter to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Chair Andrea Lucas, click here.
To read the full letter to National Labor Relations Board Chairman James R. Murphy, click here.
To read the full letter to AmeriCorps Interim Agency Head Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi, click here.
To read the full letter to Institute of Museums and Library Services Acting Director Keith E. Sonderling, click here.
To read the full letter to National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Michael McDonald, click here.
To read the full letter to National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter, click here.
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