[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 135 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WHO'S WATCHING THE WATCHDOG INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT COUNCIL

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to 
create an Inspector General Oversight Council.
  1998 marks the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the Office of 
Inspector General. It was created to be an independent and objective 
investigative unit within an agency but not under the jurisdiction of 
that agency. My intention is not to change the independent nature of 
the office, but recent events involving the Inspector General's (IG) 
office have raised concerns about the necessity for oversight. Events 
such as:
  A Treasury Department Deputy Assistant Inspector General asserted 
pressure for investigation of an IRS Deputy Commissioner about personal 
tax matters over which the IG has no jurisdiction. This came after a 
Senate hearing during which the Deputy IRS Commissioner apologized for 
IRS abuses of taxpayers.
  A former Treasury IG resigned on the eve of the Senate Governmental 
Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations' release of a report criticizing 
the awarding of sole-source consulting contracts.
  Despite concerns expressed by the Social Security Administration's 
Commissioner and employee groups, the SSA's IG planned arrest scenarios 
using SSA field offices to arrest wanted criminals, potentially 
endangering the public and field office personnel.
  A series of skirmishes between the Secretary of HUD and IG of HUD 
caused Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) to observe ``. . . maybe we ought 
to try to get someone's attention over there . . .'' (Washington Post, 
Sept. 9, 1998).
  IGs have three principal responsibilities: to conduct and supervise 
audits and investigations; to combat fraud and promote efficiency; and 
to keep Congress and the agency head fully informed about problems and 
deficiencies. The original act did not anticipate the need to deal with 
arguments between the Secretary and IG of an agency, and provided no 
forum for the airing of grievances and input of impartial advice.
  The bill I introduce today will create an Oversight Council to 
address concerns, such as those highlighted earlier, and recommend 
solutions to Inspector Generals. This would increase public confidence 
in the federal government by assuring that the Inspector General is 
held to standards of accountability and integrity while preserving the 
independent, nonpartisan role of the Inspector General. I urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation to 
create an Inspector General Oversight Council.

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