[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10464-H10466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF INSPECTORS GENERAL

  Mr. HORN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate joint resolution (H.J. Res. 58) recognizing the accomplishments 
of Inspectors General since their creation in 1978 in preventing and 
detecting waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement, and in promoting 
economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the Federal Government.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 58

       Whereas the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) 
     was signed into law on October 12, 1978, with overwhelming 
     bipartisan support;
       Whereas Inspectors General now exist in the 27 largest 
     executive agencies and in 30 other designated Federal 
     entities;
       Whereas Inspectors General serve the American taxpayer by 
     promoting economy, efficiency, effectiveness and integrity in 
     the administration of the programs and operations of the 
     Federal Government;
       Whereas Inspectors General conduct and supervise audits and 
     investigations to both prevent and detect waste, fraud and 
     abuse in the programs and operations of the Federal 
     Government;
       Whereas Inspectors General make Congress and agency heads 
     aware, through semiannual reports and other activities, of 
     problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of 
     programs and operations of the Federal Government;
       Whereas Inspectors General work with Congress and agency 
     heads to recommend policies to promote economy and efficiency 
     in the administration of, or preventing and detecting waste, 
     fraud and abuse in, the programs and operations of the 
     Federal Government;
       Whereas Inspectors General receive and investigate 
     information from Federal employees and other dedicated 
     citizens regarding the possible existence of an activity 
     constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations, or 
     mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority or a 
     substantial and specific danger to public health and safety;
       Whereas Inspector General actions result in, on a yearly 
     basis, recommendations for several billions of dollars to be 
     spent more

[[Page H10465]]

     effectively; thousands of successful criminal prosecutions; 
     hundreds of millions of dollars returned to the United States 
     Treasury through investigative recoveries; and the suspension 
     and disbarment of thousands of individuals or entities from 
     doing business with the Government; and

       Whereas for 20 years the Offices of Inspectors General have 
     worked with Congress to facilitate the exercise of effective 
     legislative oversight to improve the programs and operations 
     of the Federal Government: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     Congress--
       (1) recognizes the many accomplishments of the Offices of 
     Inspectors General in preventing and detecting waste, fraud, 
     and abuse in the Federal Government;
       (2) commends the Offices of Inspectors General and their 
     employees for the dedication and professionalism displayed in 
     the performance of their duties; and
       (3) reaffirms the role of Inspectors General in promoting 
     economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the administration 
     of the programs and operations of the Federal Government.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Horn) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia 
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn).


                             General Leave

  Mr. HORN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on S.J. Res. 58.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HORN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology and on behalf of the gentleman from Indiana 
(Chairman Burton) of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 
the committee to which we are responsible for overseeing the economy 
and efficiency of the Federal Government, I am rising to recognize a 
very important asset we have in the war that we have waged consistently 
against waste, fraud and abuse within the Federal Government.
  Madam Speaker, 20 years ago this month, in an effort to more 
effectively combat waste and mismanagement in Federal programs, on a 
bipartisan basis the predecessor of the Committee on Government Reform 
and Oversight--then known as the Committee on Government Operations--
worked to establish inspectors general in our largest executive 
agencies. Later, the Inspector General Act of 1978 was expanded so that 
today we have inspectors general in 27 major agencies and in 30 of our 
smaller Federal agencies.
  Not only my committee, the House Subcommittee on Government 
Management, Information, and Technology, but the entire Congress, has 
come to rely heavily on the critical work of the inspectors general. 
Their audits and their inspections help root out serious problems in 
various Federal programs and bring them into the light of day so both 
the administration and Congress can deal with it.
  In April 1998, the subcommittee conducted a series of hearings which 
examined financial management practices in the Federal Government. One 
of these hearings focused on the status of financial management 
practices in the Health Care Financing Administration. It has a new, 
very able administrator and I wish her well in bringing efficiency to 
this complex agency.
  At that hearing, the Inspector General of the Department of Health 
and Human Services exposed a stunning $20,300,000,000 in waste, fraud 
and abuse in the Medicare program. The Medicare program is one of this 
Nation's most important programs. Every dollar invested by the 
taxpayers and by Congress, and the clients and beneficiaries, must be 
utilized for quality medical and health care. Medicare was saved by our 
majority. Its benefits will be available to the generations yet to 
come.
  With the exposure of problems such as this, agencies and Congress can 
work to improve programs on a bipartisan basis, make them more 
efficient, more effective and less costly. American taxpayers deserve 
no less from us than to provide the utmost accountability for their 
hard-earned money.
  With this resolution, we salute the inspectors general and their 
staffs and we thank them for their two decades of extremely important 
work on behalf of the American people and Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and urge 
its adoption by the House. The Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight has a long history of working in a bipartisan manner with the 
inspectors general to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in Federal 
programs. Indeed, the original authorizing statute establishing 
inspectors general in the executive branch was drafted by the 
Government Operations Committee 20 years ago.
  The close relationship between the inspectors general and the 
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight is entirely appropriate. 
The Inspector General community is one of Congress' principal watchdogs 
in the executive branch. There is much we can learn from each other as 
we work to ensure that our government operate in the most effective and 
efficient manner possible.
  IGs have a very difficult job, in part because they are asked to 
serve so many masters. They are appointed by the President, but report 
to the Congress as well as the agency head. As independent 
investigators within the Federal agencies, they are often the last 
person a manager wants to hear from, and Members of Congress can get 
very upset when the need or cost of pet projects are questioned. Yet, 
in many instances the toughest jobs are the ones which need doing the 
most. That is certainly the case here.
  During fiscal year 1997, IGs returns $3 billion to the Federal 
Government in restitution and recoveries and their audits identified 
other $25 billion in funds which could be used more effectively. They 
also had more than 15,000 successful criminal prosecutions and over 
6,000 debarments, exclusions, and suspensions of companies or 
individuals doing business with the government.
  Similar accomplishments are made year after year. The IGs have more 
than proven their usefulness to Congress and the American public. The 
Chief Financial Officers Act, the Government Management Reform Act and 
the Government Performance and Results Act have given the IGs some new 
responsibilities, particularly to ensure that Congress has complete and 
reliable financial information. Their work in this area is invaluable 
to policymakers and management executives throughout the 
administration.
  Madam Speaker, it has been 20 years since the passage of the original 
IG act, and 10 since the 1988 amendments authored by Senator Glenn. The 
original act established IGs in six Cabinet level departments. One 
measure of its success is the fact that today there are inspectors 
general in all departments, and also in most major independent 
agencies.
  Madam Speaker, as this resolution states in part, inspectors general 
serve the American taxpayer by promoting economy, efficiency, 
effectiveness and integrity in the administration of the programs and 
operations of the government.
  May I add that when it came time to choose a United States Attorney 
for the District of Columbia, I asked the President to appoint the 
Inspector General from the Department of the Interior, Wilma Lewis. She 
has already shown what the experience of an IG can do for the city, the 
Nation's capital. I urge Members to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HORN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to mention just a few items that are in a 
statement offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton). In the 
fiscal year 1997, which ended September 30, 1997, the inspector general 
audits identified $25 billion in funds that year that could be put to 
better use. They returned to the government $3 billion in restitution 
and investigative recoveries. They had more than 15,000 successful 
criminal prosecutions and over 6,000 debarments, exclusions, and 
suspension of firms or individuals doing business with the government.
  They are on our frontline, Madam Speaker, and we appreciate them for

[[Page H10466]]

their 20 years of very difficult work. Under various administrations, 
there has sometimes been a difficulty between the Inspector General and 
the Secretary of an executive department or the administrator of a 
particular program. A wise administrator listens to the Inspector 
General and does the right thing. Generally, the inspectors general 
have prevailed.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of this timely resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Horn) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate joint resolution, S.J.Res. 58.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate joint resolution was 
passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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