[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IG INDEPENDENCE AND EMPOWERMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                              HON. ED CASE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 29, 2021

  Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2662, 
the IG Independence and Empowerment Act, of which I am a cosponsor.
  The work of our Inspectors General throughout government in providing 
an independent, objective and professional review and assessment of 
legal compliance and waste, fraud and abuse is critical to the overall 
functioning of government and to ensuring public trust and confidence 
in government. Equally, efforts to weaken, politicize, influence and 
cow our Inspectors Generals are direct threats to smooth government 
functioning, efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars and the 
public trust and cannot be tolerated.
  Chair Maloney's bill takes some of the best recommendations from the 
Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to ensure 
Inspectors General independence, increase transparency and improve the 
effectiveness of one of our government's major checks mechanisms. This 
much-needed bill will improve the work of our Inspectors General 
community, which is even more critical now as we expend literally 
trillions of dollars in emergency COVID-19 relief.
  I especially appreciate that this bill includes elements of 
Congressman Cooper's Inspectors General Independence Act, which I also 
cosponsored and which was endorsed by my Blue Dog Coalition last 
Congress because of its focus on issues related to fiscal 
responsibility, good governance and national security.
  I also appreciate the Committee's support of the amendment submitted 
by Congresswoman Bourdeaux, Chair of the Blue Dogs Task Force on Fiscal 
Responsibility and Government Reform, which ensures that Inspectors 
General and their staffs receive sufficient training on the remedies 
available to them, specifically suspension or debarment, to fully 
address identified private sector government contracting waste, fraud 
or abuse.
  This is a solid and much-needed improvement for one of our federal 
government's most valuable communities, and I urge its passage.

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