[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 119 (Monday, July 16, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H6200-H6201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GOOD ACCOUNTING OBLIGATION IN GOVERNMENT ACT
Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5415) to require agencies to submit reports on outstanding
recommendations in the annual budget justification submitted to
Congress, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5415
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Good Accounting Obligation
in Government Act'' or the ``GAO-IG Act''.
SEC. 2. REPORTS ON OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE AND INSPECTOR GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
(a) Required Reports.--In the annual budget justification
submitted to Congress, as submitted with the budget of the
President under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code,
the head of each agency shall include the following:
(1) A report listing each public recommendation of the
Government Accountability Office that is designated by the
Government Accountability Office as ``open'' or ``closed,
unimplemented'' as of the date on which the annual budget
justification is submitted.
(2) A report listing each public recommendation for
corrective action from the Office of Inspector General of the
agency for which no final action has been taken as of the
date on which the annual budget justification is submitted.
(3) A report on the implementation status of each public
recommendation described in paragraphs (1) and (2), which
shall include the following:
(A) With respect to a public recommendation that is
designated by the Government Accountability Office as
``open'' or ``closed, unimplemented''--
[[Page H6201]]
(i) that the agency has decided not to implement, a
detailed justification for the decision; or
(ii) that the agency has decided to adopt, a timeline for
full implementation.
(B) With respect to a public recommendation for corrective
action from the Office of Inspector General of the agency--
(i) for which the agency has taken action not recommended
and considers closed, an explanation of the reason why the
agency took different action with respect to each audit
report to which the public recommendation for corrective
action pertains; and
(ii) for which no final action has been taken, an
explanation of the reasons why no final action was taken with
respect to each audit report to which the public
recommendation for corrective action pertains.
(C) With respect to an outstanding unimplemented public
recommendation from the Office of Inspector General of the
agency that the agency has decided to adopt, a timeline for
implementation.
(4) An explanation for any discrepancy between--
(A) the most recent semiannual report submitted by the
Inspector General of the agency and the report submitted
under paragraphs (2) and (3); and
(B) any report submitted by the Government Accountability
Office relating to public recommendations that are designated
by the Government Accountability Office as ``open'' or
``closed, unimplemented'' and any report submitted under
paragraph (1) and (2).
(b) Additional Report Requirements for Certain Agencies.--
The head of a covered agency shall include in the annual
budget justification described in subsection (a) a written
response to each recommendation designated by the Comptroller
in the annual priority recommendation letter sent to such
head as high priority for attention by that head.
(c) Copies of Submissions.--The head of each agency or
covered agency, as applicable, shall provide a copy of the
information submitted under subsections (a) and (b) to the
Comptroller General and the Inspector General of the agency.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this bill may be
construed to affect an authority provided to an Inspector
General of an agency under the Inspector General Act of 1978
(5 U.S.C. App.), including the authority of such Inspector
General to identify each recommendation on which final action
has not been taken.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--the term ``agency'' means--
(A) a designated Federal entity, as defined in section
8G(a)(2) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C.
App.); and
(B) an establishment, as defined in section 12(2) of the
Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(2) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means the
following:
(A) Each agency described in section 901(b) of title 31,
United States Code.
(B) The Internal Revenue Service.
(C) The Securities and the Security and Exchange
Commission.
(D) Any additional agency determined by the Comptroller
General.
(3) Semiannual report.--The term ``semiannual report''
means the semiannual report submitted to Congress by each
Inspector General under section 5 of the Inspector General
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
SEC. 3. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the
requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried
out using amounts otherwise authorized.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Walker) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Cummings) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5415, the GAO-
IG Act.
The Government Accountability Office and inspectors general are two
of the best sources for recommendations to improve the operations of
the Federal Government. Their efforts help fight waste, fraud, and
abuse; promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the
executive branch; and save taxpayer dollars.
GAO and inspector general audits and investigations often end with
corrective recommendations to the agency reviewed. As of May 2018, the
GAO has issued more than 1,500 products with about 4,800 open
recommendations.
Since 2014, IGs have issued over 8,900 reports, with approximately
40,300 total recommendations. During that same time period, IGs
identified over $99 billion in potential savings through their audits,
investigations, and recommendations.
But all of these recommendations are only as valuable as the agency's
commitment to implement them. I introduced the GAO-IG Act to ensure
every agency evaluates and implements recommendations by GAO and the
inspector general. The bill requires agencies to include the unresolved
GAO and IG recommendations within their annual budget justification to
Congress.
Agencies must also report on the implementation status of each
recommendation and why they are not fully implemented. This creates a
formal process in which agencies must take stock of their open and
unimplemented recommendations each year. This increased transparency
will encourage each agency to work with GAO and its inspector general
to identify and implement high-priority open recommendations.
I would like to thank Representatives Palmer, Duncan, Bishop, and
Fitzpatrick for their cosponsorship of this legislation. I would also
like to thank Chairman Gowdy and Ranking Member Cummings of the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for their support. The
bill passed out of the committee unanimously by voice vote earlier this
year.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank Mr. Walker for introducing
this well-thought-out bill and very important bill.
I support this bill, which would increase the transparency and
accountability of Federal agencies. The bill would require agencies to
include in their budget justifications to Congress a summary of the
recommendations made by GAO or the agency's inspector general. Agencies
would also be required to explain what steps they are taking to address
these recommendations or, if they disagree with them, why they
disagree.
GAO and inspectors general provide critical oversight of the
executive branch. Knowing what agencies are doing or not doing to
address GAO and IG recommendations will assist Congress in conducting
its constitutional oversight role. This is, indeed, a commonsense
measure that I strongly support. I just want to urge the House to pass
this bill.
One of the things that has concerned many of us in the Congress is
the issue of accountability. Accountability is so very, very important.
We all have a tremendous amount of respect for the inspectors general
and for GAO. Over and over again, they make recommendations, and the
question becomes: Whatever happens to those recommendations? Are they
placed on a shelf and never to be seen again, or are they put into
place? After all, the American people are spending a lot of money with
regard to the research and the investigations conducted by the IG and
the research conducted by the GAO.
And so, Mr. Speaker, we are very supportive of this legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1515
Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5415, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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