[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF INSPECTORS GENERAL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, October 10, 1998

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight, responsible for overseeing the economy 
and efficiency of the federal government, I rise to recognize our 
Federal Inspectors General, who in the twenty years since their 
inception, have been a critical asset in the war against waste, fraud 
and abuse in our Federal Government.
  Twenty years ago this month, the Government Reform and Oversight 
Committee worked to establish Inspectors General in the largest 
executive agencies. Today, the Inspector General Act of 1978 provides 
for Inspectors in 27 major agencies and in 30 of our smaller Federal 
agencies.
  Inspectors General were established to correct deficiencies in the 
way Government agencies addressed performance problems: deficiencies in 
organizational structure which placed audit and investigative units 
under the supervision of the officials whose programs they were to 
examine; deficiencies in procedures which allowed agency officials to 
intervene in audits and investigations; and deficiencies in amount of 
resources devoted to preventing and detecting waste, fraud, and abuse.
  In addition to their original duties of conducting audits and 
investigations under the 1978 Act, IGS are playing key roles under 
recent management reform laws that were enacted to address financial 
and programmatic problems within agencies. Among them, the Chief 
Financial Officers Act and the Government Performance and Results Act. 
The IGS hard work with regard to these laws enables agencies and the 
Congress to further address serious management and financial problems, 
making our government more efficient, more effective, and less costly.
  Not only the Government Reform and Oversight Committee, but the 
entire Congress has come to rely heavily on the critical work of the 
Inspectors General. Their audits and inspections help root out serious 
problems in Federal programs and bring them into the light of day, 
saving taxpayers billions of dollars every year. The following 
statistics compiled by the Presidents' Council on Integrity and 
Efficiency (PCIE) and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency 
(ECIE) illustrate the impact of IGS. In Fiscal Year 1997, IG audits and 
inspections identified a total of $25 billion in funds that could be 
put to better use; more than 15,000 individuals and businesses were 
successfully prosecuted; restitutions and investigative recoveries 
resulting from IG investigations returned $3 billion to the Government; 
and more than 6,000 individuals or firms were disqualified from doing 
business with the Federal Government.
  Mr. chairman, American taxpayers deserve no less from us than to 
provide the utmost accountability for their hard-earned money. On this, 
the eve of the twentieth year anniversary of the Inspector General Act 
of 1978, I salute our Inspectors General and thank them for their 
extremely important work on behalf of the American taxpayers.
  I urge my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 58 and join me in 
recognizing and thanking our Federal Inspectors General.

               BACKGROUND--INSPECTOR GENERAL ACT OF 1978

       Concept of inspector general dates back to the 
     Revolutionary War when the Continental Congress appointed an 
     Inspector General to audit expenditures by General 
     Washington's army.
       In 1976, Congress established the first statutory Inspector 
     General in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
       All cabinet level Departments and most major Executive 
     Branch agencies now have a statutory Inspector General. There 
     are 27 Presidentially appointed Inspectors General required 
     by the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended (including 
     the new IG for Tax Administration which will not be formally 
     established until January 1999). Additionally, the Inspector 
     General Act establishes 30 Inspectors General in other 
     Federal agencies who are appointed by the head of their 
     agency.


                               Chronology

       H.R. 8588 was introduced in the 95th Congress by 
     Congressman L.H. Fountain.
       August 5, 1977: Reported by the House Committee on 
     Government Operations by an unanimous vote.
       April 18, 1978: Passed House of Representatives by a vote 
     of 388 to 6.
       August 8, 1978: Reported by Senate Committee on 
     Governmental Affairs by a vote of 9 to 0.
       September 22, 1978: Passed Senate by voice vote.
       October 12, 1978: Signed into law (Public Law 95-452).


                                Purpose

       The original Act established Inspectors General in six 
     Executive Branch Departments and six government agencies.
       To conduct and supervise audits and investigations relating 
     to government programs and operations.
       To provide leadership and coordination and recommend 
     policies for activities designed to:
       (a) promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the 
     administration of government programs and operations.
       (b) prevent and detect fraud and abuse in government 
     programs and operations.
       To provide a means for keeping the heads of Departments and 
     agencies and the Congress informed about:
       (a) problems and deficiencies relating to the 
     administration of government programs.
       (b) the necessity for and progress of corrective actions.


     Need for Legislation (from Report of the Senate Committee on 
                Governmental Affairs, S. Rept. 95-1071)

       Failure by the Federal Government to make sufficient and 
     effective efforts to prevent and detect fraud, waste and 
     mismanagement in Federal programs and expenditures.
       A lack of resources dedicated to prevent and detect fraud, 
     waste and abuse. Audit cycles of up to 20 years in some 
     agencies before all activities would be audited.
       The lack of independence of many audit and investigative 
     operations in the Executive Branch. Auditors and 
     investigators must report to and are under the supervision of 
     officials whose programs they are reviewing.


                            Accomplishments

       During Fiscal Year 1997: IG Audits identified $25 billion 
     in funds that could be put to better use; returned to the 
     Government $3 billion in restitution and investigative 
     recoveries; more than 15,000 successful criminal 
     prosecutions; over 6,000 debarments, exclusions and 
     suspensions of firms or individuals doing business with the 
     Government.



     

                          ____________________