Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - November 08, 2007)

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COLLINS. Mr. President. I am pleased to join my colleagues, Senators McCaskill, Lieberman, and Coburn, in introducing the Inspector General Reform Act of 2007, a bipartisan measure that will help detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in government operations.

This legislation is an important companion to S. 680, the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007, which the Senate passed last night by unanimous consent. Indeed, many of the reforms in this bill were included in S. 680 in February, when I first introduced that legislation along with Senators Lieberman, Coleman, Carper, and McCaskill. At our Committee's markup of S. 680, I recommended that the provisions governing Inspectors General be removed from that bill so that we could work together to improve the effectiveness of our Nation's Inspectors General in a separate legislative vehicle. The legislation we introduce today reflects that collaboration and continues our Committee's strong, bipartisan efforts to improve the effectiveness of Government.

Inspectors General are vital partners in Congress's effort to identify inefficient, ineffective, and improper Government programs. By leveraging the expertise and independence of Inspectors General and their staffs, Congress has been able to identify, and take action to stop, wasteful spending.

Examples of the IGs' invaluable work could be cited in depressingly large numbers, but let me note two efforts that I found particularly striking. In a 6-month period following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, the Department of Homeland Security's IG produced 29 reports that included alarming discoveries, including that 63 percent of the DHS purchase-card transactions made during the response had no documentation of goods or services actually being received. The DHS IG investigations helped produce 243 convictions for fraud or related offenses and aided in recovery of millions of taxpayer dollars.

As you will recall, the impressive work of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction led to Congress's extending SIGIR's work in that country. The SIGIR reported, among other things,

that more than $9 billion in Iraqi oil revenues disbursed in 2004 could not be accounted for, that hundreds of contracts had problems, and that many projects to restore Iraq's water and electric services would not be completed. The SIGIR's work is estimated to yield taxpayers $25 of benefit for every dollar of cost.

The investigations and reports of IGs throughout the government help Congress shape legislation and oversight activities--improving Government performance, providing important transparency into programs, and giving Americans better value for their tax dollar.

Unfortunately, the past year has produced troubling instances in which the independence of Inspectors General has been challenged within their respective departments. We have also heard allegations of misconduct by some Inspectors General. These alarming examples of pressure and impropriety cannot be tolerated, and the legislation we introduce today is an important first step in clarifying congressional expectations concerning the independence, funding, training, and accountability of the Federal Government's Inspectors General.

The Inspector General Reform Act of 2007 would improve the independence and effectiveness of Inspectors General and contribute to better relations among the IGs, the agencies they serve, and the Congress. These improvements will also help to insulate and protect Inspectors General from inappropriate efforts to hinder their investigations.

First and foremost, the legislation provides a clear manifestation of how Congress believes IGs should be chosen. It amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to explicitly require appointments on the basis of ability and integrity, not political affiliation.

Additional enhancements included in the bill are a mandatory requirement to notify Congress 30 days before the removal of an IG, helping to prevent politically motivated attempts to terminate effective IGs.

A separate budget line for Inspectors General that includes their overall budget and training needs, helping to ensure that these offices are properly funded to perform their important mission.

A pay increase for IGs and a prohibition on cash bonuses or awards. Most IGs already refuse to accept bonuses to avoid an appearance of conflict, with the result that many deputies earn more than the IGs. This provision will improve an IG's influence and independence within an agency while avoiding the appearance of improper influence that bonuses can create.

Authorization for the Government-wide IG Council on Integrity and Efficiency that will ensure appropriate investigations of misconduct or malfeasance by IGs. And finally,

Clarification that the IGs' subpoena authority extends to electronic documents.

The oversight experience of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and many reviews by the Government Accountability Office have confirmed the vital importance of the Inspector General function
in our system of Government. By addressing identified shortcomings and further insulating IGs from inappropriate influence, the legislation we introduce today will make a critical function of Government even more effective. I urge my colleagues to support its prompt consideration and passage.

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