[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 135 (Monday, September 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S12143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. 
        Sununu, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Levin, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. 
        Durbin):
  S.J. Res. 18. A joint resolution commending the Inspectors General 
for their efforts to prevent and detect waste, fraud, abuse, and 
mismanagement, and to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in 
the Federal Government during the past 25 years; to the Committee on 
Governmental Affairs.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a joint 
resolution recognizing the accomplishments of the inspectors general 
during the past 25 years. I am very pleased to be joined in this 
undertaking by Senator Lieberman and many of our distinguished 
colleagues in both Houses of Congress.
  Since 1978, the inspectors general (IGs) have made valuable 
contributions to the efficient and economical operation of the Federal 
Government. They have made thousands of recommendations, which 
ultimately saved the American taxpayers literally billions of dollars.
  We've all heard the horror stories of $500 hammers and roads build to 
nowhere: those are examples of the kind of wasteful spending that the 
IGs have exposed. The waste of scarce Federal resources not only picks 
the pockets of taxpayers but also places severe financial pressures on 
already overburdened programs, forcing cutbacks in vital government 
services.
  Investigations by inspectors general have also resulted in the 
recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury from 
companies and individuals who defrauded the Federal Government. These 
investigations have been the basis for thousands of criminal 
prosecutions, debarments, exclusions, and suspensions.
  In my capacity as chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee and 
previously as chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, 
I have had the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with IGs to combat 
fraud and waste in a variety of programs.
  To cite just one example, I worked with the Office of Inspector 
General for the Department of Health and Human Services to uncover 
flagrant examples of Medicare fraud. We found that the Federal 
Government had been sending Medicare checks to 14 fraudulent health 
care companies that had provided no services whatsoever. Indeed, the 
address listed by one company did not exist, and, if it had, the 
address would have been located in the middle of the runway of the 
Miami International Airport.
  The Offices of Inspector General have demonstrated a record of 
tremendous success over the past 25 years, and we wish to commend them 
and their employees for their dedication and professionalism in the 
performance of their duties.
  I hope my colleagues will join Senator Lieberman and me in passing 
this resolution commending the IGS for their many accomplishments.

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