[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
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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
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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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