[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24620-24621]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING INSPECTORS GENERAL OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 70) recognizing Inspectors General over the 
last 25 years in their efforts to prevent and detect waste, fraud, 
abuse, and mismanagement, and to promote economy, efficiency, and 
effectiveness in the Federal Government.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 70

       Whereas the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) 
     was signed into law on October 12, 1978, with overwhelming 
     bipartisan support;
       Whereas Inspectors General now exist in the 29 largest 
     executive branch agencies and in 28 other designated Federal 
     entities;
       Whereas Inspectors General work to serve the American 
     taxpayer by promoting economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and 
     integrity in the administration of the programs and 
     operations of the Federal Government;
       Whereas Inspectors General conduct audits and 
     investigations to both prevent and detect waste, fraud, 
     abuse, and mismanagement in the programs and operations of 
     the Federal Government;
       Whereas Inspectors General make Congress and agency heads 
     aware, through semiannual reports and other communications, 
     of problems and deficiencies in the administration of 
     programs and operations of the Federal Government;
       Whereas Congress and agency heads utilize the 
     recommendations of Inspectors General in the development and 
     implementation of policies that promote economy and 
     efficiency in the administration of, or prevent and detect 
     waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in, the programs and 
     operations of the Federal Government;
       Whereas Federal employees and other dedicated citizens 
     report information to Inspectors General regarding the 
     possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of 
     law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of 
     funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific 
     danger to public health and safety;
       Whereas Inspector General audits and investigations result 
     in annual recommendations for more effective spending of 
     billions of taxpayer dollars, thousands of successful 
     criminal prosecutions, hundreds of millions of dollars 
     returned to the United States Treasury through investigative 
     recoveries, and the suspension and debarment of thousands of 
     individuals or entities from doing business with the 
     Government; and
       Whereas for 25 years the Inspectors General have worked 
     with Congress to facilitate effective oversight to improve 
     the programs and operations of the Federal Government: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     Congress--
       (1) recognizes the many accomplishments of the Inspectors 
     General in preventing and detecting waste, fraud, abuse, and 
     mismanagement in the Federal Government;
       (2) commends the Inspectors General and their employees for 
     the dedication and professionalism displayed in the 
     performance of their duties; and
       (3) reaffirms the role of Inspectors General in promoting 
     economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration 
     of the programs and operations of the Federal Government.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).


                             General Leave

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the joint resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on 
Government Reform, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), 
introduced House Joint Resolution 70. This resolution commends 
inspectors general for the important work that they do to improve the 
operation of the Federal Government.
  This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Enactment of the 
Inspector General Act. This 1978 law originally established Offices of 
Inspectors General in 12 Federal Departments and agencies. This act has 
since been amended so that today, statutory IGs oversee nearly 60 
Federal Departments and agencies.
  Inspectors general are a valuable resource for Congress and the 
American people. Through their audits and investigations, they 
highlight wasteful spending and fraudulent activities and recommend 
ways to improve the operation of government programs. In fiscal year 
2002, IGs made recommendations that saved more than $70 billion. 
Investigations performed by IG personnel also resulted in more than 
10,000 criminal prosecutions.
  Mr. Speaker, 25 years after the enactment of the IG act, IGs remain 
important guardians of good government. This resolution salutes their 
efforts, and I strongly support its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 70, 
which recognizes inspectors general for their efforts to prevent waste, 
fraud, and abuse over the last 25 years and urge Members to vote for 
this measure.
  The Committee on Government Reform has a long history of working with 
the inspectors general to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal 
programs. Indeed, the Committee on Government Reform drafted the 
original statute establishing inspectors general in the executive 
branch 25 years ago.
  The close relationship between the inspectors general and our 
committee is entirely appropriate. The inspectors general community is 
one of Congress's principal watchdogs in the executive branch. There is 
much we can learn from each other as we work to ensure that our 
government operates in the most effective and efficient manner 
possible.
  IGs have a very difficult job. They are appointed by the President 
and report to Congress as well as the head of their agency. As 
independent investigators within the Federal agencies, they

[[Page 24621]]

are often the last person a manager wants to hear from. Yet in many 
instances, the toughest jobs are the ones that need the doing most.
  During fiscal year 2002, IGs returned over $4.5 billion to the 
Federal Government in restitutions and recoveries, and their audits 
identified another $72 billion in funds that could be used more 
effectively. They also had more than 10,000 successful criminal 
prosecutions. Similar accomplishments are made year after year. The IGs 
have more than proven their usefulness to Congress and to the American 
public.
  It has been 25 years since the passage of the original IG act. That 
act established IGs in six Cabinet-level Departments. A good measure of 
the success of the IG concept is the fact that today, there are 
inspectors general in all Departments and also in most major 
independent agencies, for a total of 59 in all. Both Congress and the 
executive agencies themselves have come to rely heavily on the IGs to 
uncover fraud, waste, and abuse in the Federal Government.
  This resolution states in part, ``Inspectors General work to serve 
the American taxpayer by promoting economy, efficiency, effectiveness, 
and integrity in the administration of the programs and operations of 
the Federal Government.''
  I firmly believe that to be true, and I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution commemorating their 25th anniversary.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate and welcome the 
gentleman from Florida in his new capacity as an ex-officio member of 
the Committee on Government Reform.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, House Joint Resolution 70, 
recognizes the accomplishments of the Inspectors General on the 25th 
anniversary of the passage of the Inspector General Act. Twenty-five 
years ago this month, the Government Reform Committee--then known as 
the Government Operations Committee--worked in a bipartisan fashion to 
enact legislation that established Inspectors General in six Cabinet 
level departments and another six government agencies. The IG Act was 
adopted in response to a need to reduce fraud and waste and to enhance 
accountability in the federal government. Under the IG Act, audit and 
investigative units within an agency were consolidated under a single 
office with protections designed to ensure independence and 
objectivity. The IG Act has since been expanded so that today we have 
IGs in 29 major department sand agencies and in 28 smaller federal 
entities.
  Over the last quarter century, IGs have been a vital asset in the war 
against waste, fraud, and mismanagement in the programs and operations 
of the federal government. The IGs and their more than 11,000 
hardworking auditors, investigators, inspectors, and support staff, 
produce impressive results each year. In fiscal year 2002, IG audits 
resulted in savings of tens of billions of taxpayer dollars and returns 
of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Treasury. In addition, IG 
investigations resulted in thousands of successful criminal 
prosecutions. With a combined fiscal year 2002 budget of $1.5 billion 
dollars, the IGs clearly provide significant returns for the taxpayer's 
investment.
  The Committee on government Reform and the entire Congress have come 
to rely heavily on the critical work of the Inspectors General. In the 
twenty-five years since the passage of the inspector General Act, much 
has changed in the way the Federal Government manages it programs and 
operations. A series of new management laws--including the Chief 
Financial Officers Act, the Government Performance and Results Act, and 
the Federal Information Security Management Act--are dramatically 
changing the management and accountability of the Federal Government, 
and the Inspectors General are playing a critical role in the 
implementation of these laws.
  American taxpayers deserve no less from their government than the 
utmost accountability for their hard-earned money. I urge my colleagues 
to support this resolution and salute the Inspectors General for their 
extremely important work on behalf of the American taxpayers.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage 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 Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 70.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the joint resolution was passed.
  The title of the joint resolution was amended so as to read: ``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.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________