Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - March 17, 2009)

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By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Levin, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Voinovich):

S. 615. A bill to provide additional personnel authorities for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce today, along with Senators Lieberman, Coburn, Levin, Grassley, McCaskill, McCain, and Voinovich, a bill that will provide the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, SIGAR, with the authority it needs to quickly hire experienced, well-qualified staff to conduct rigorous oversight of reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

The United States has provided approximately $32 billion in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan since 2001. Congress created the SIGAR in the fiscal year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to conduct and oversee independent and objective audits, inspections, and investigations relating to these funds.

Although the SIGAR was sworn into office on July 22, 2008, the office has not yet conducted any independent audits or investigations. The SIGAR has filed two quarterly reports, but both of those reports were descriptive in nature and reviewed the work of other oversight entities.

Staffing shortages have constrained the SIGAR's oversight efforts. Although authorized a total of 18 auditors, 13 inspectors, and three investigators, SIGAR had only five auditors, two inspectors, and one investigator as of last week.

SIGAR's efforts to quickly hire experienced staff have been hindered by the often long and difficult government hiring process. The office's hiring needs are further complicated by the challenging task of recruiting well-qualified staff willing to spend a year in a dangerous environment.

The bill that we introduce today will provide the SIGAR with the authority to select, appoint, and employ the staff needed to perform effective oversight of Afghanistan reconstruction efforts. The authority is similar to that provided to other government ``temporary organizations.'' The legislation will allow SIGAR to identify and quickly hire candidates, avoiding the bureaucratic hurdles that beset the normal civil service hiring process. Employees hired under this new authority can serve until the termination of the SIGAR's office.

The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, which served as the model for the legislation to create the SIGAR, faced comparable hiring challenges. This bill contains hiring authority similar to that provided to the SIGIR so that office could quickly hire experienced staff.

With his staff, the SIGIR has been successful in providing thorough oversight of reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Since 2004, the SIGIR has produced 20 quarterly reports, 135 audits, 141 inspections, and 4 ``lessons-learned'' reports. SIGIR's oversight work has saved or recovered more than $81 million in U.S. taxpayer funds and has put $224 million to better use.

If the SIGAR would have had this authority from the office's inception, it likely would be much further along in conducting its oversight work. We expect that once the SIGAR can quickly hire the skilled and experienced auditors and investigators it needs, the office's oversight activities will greatly increase.

I urge every Senator to support this constructive and bipartisan bill.

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