Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the appointment of Robert Westbrooks as Executive Director of Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, one of the panels that Congressional Democrats created in the CARES Act to oversee the federal emergency relief and response for the coronavirus pandemic response:

“Congressional Democrats passed a transformed CARES Act with multiple strong oversight protections to ensure that this historic investment of taxpayer dollars go first and foremost to workers and families in need.

“It is vital that Executive Director Westbrooks exercise his full authority to hold the Administration accountable to the law and ensure that this relief package is used to protect Americans’ lives and livelihoods, not to pad the pockets of corporations and the wealthiest few.

“The Trump Administration must not interfere with Executive Director Westbrooks‘ independence in this critical oversight role.“