[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E23]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                    INSPECTOR GENERAL PROTECTION ACT

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                               speech of

                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 5, 2021

  Mr. LIEU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 23, the Inspector 
General Protection Act, a straightforward, bipartisan bill to protect 
the role of our inspectors general, Since Congress passed the Inspector 
General Act of 1978, inspectors general have played a crucial role in 
our democracy.
  These government watchdogs root out waste, fraud, mismanagement, and 
abuse at all levels of government--saving the American taxpayer 
billions of dollars annually and ensuring government programs benefit 
the People. One Government Accountability Office study concluded that 
the 73 Offices of Inspectors General saved taxpayers $43.3 billion in 
2009, marking roughly an $18 return for every dollar invested in our 
nation's inspectors general. By making inspectors general independent 
from the agencies they oversee, Congress signaled the importance of 
nonpartisan oversight that defines their role today. Our legislation, 
the Inspector General Protection Act of 2021, ensures the independence 
and integrity of our nation's inspectors general by combating two 
threats to these offices,
  First, H.R. 23 requires notification to Congress in advance of an 
inspector general being placed on paid or unpaid non-duty status, or 
incurring a change in status. This ensures Congress is aware of any 
potential attempts to improperly sideline an inspector general. Second, 
the bill requires the President to report to Congress if an inspector 
general has not been nominated within 210 days after a vacancy occurs 
for the position, including the reasons a nomination has not been made 
and a target date for doing so. This reasserts Congress' oversight role 
and allows Members to question--on an informed basis--the decision of 
any future administration to leave core offices vacant, which has 
historically been an all-too-common practice among presidents of both 
parties.
  I would like to express my gratitude to several individuals for this 
legislation. First, to the late Elijah Cummings, the kind and generous 
former Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, who worked 
tirelessly to ensure the United States Government worked for all 
people, including by doggedly rooting out waste and fraud. He first 
passed the Inspector General Protection Act through the Oversight and 
Reform Committee two years ago. Since then, the House has signaled its 
support for this legislation by passing the bill in numerous forms, 
including as part of the HEROES Act in May 2020.
  Next, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Representative 
Jody Hice from Georgia, for joining me in co-leading this bipartisan, 
commonsense legislation. Congressman Hice has been a valuable partner 
on numerous oversight initiatives, including our recent Oversight.gov 
Authorization Act, which was signed into law as part of the omnibus 
package last week. I thank him and his staff in the personal office and 
on Committee for their continued partnership. Finally, my thanks to 
Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney for her tireless work to hold those in power 
accountable to the people--including by supporting our many initiatives 
to strengthen our inspectors general.
  Chairwoman Maloney is an invaluable leader in the fight for good 
government. I urge my colleagues to support this narrowly tailored yet 
crucial legislation to protect our nation's inspectors general, saving 
the taxpayer billions of dollars and ensuring the government works for 
the people.

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