Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions - S.J. Res. 18

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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.