Government Accountability Office Improvement Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2646, the Government Accountability Office Improvement Act of 2009. This legislation, introduced by the chairman of the Oversight Committee, Representative Ed Towns of Brooklyn, will increase the effectiveness of the GAO by clarifying and strengthening the GAO's authority in several critical areas, including its access to records.

Congress relies heavily on the GAO as a force multiplier in carrying out the investigative and oversight functions vested in the legislative branch. The GAO helps inform the Congress and executive agencies and the public about areas and programs within the Federal Government that are performing well and those that need to be improved or are vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. General Accounting Office audits provide reliable assessments as to whether the taxpayers are receiving full value from important government programs. This legislation is necessary to ensure that GAO can successfully carry out all of these important functions for the Congress.

Specifically, the GAO Improvement Act addresses a 2002 Federal court decision that limited the GAO's ability to question agency access determinations in court. The bill explicitly provides the Comptroller General with standing to pursue litigation if the Comptroller General determines that the performance of her official duties has been harmed by an agency improperly withholding information.

The bill also clarifies the GAO's access to information in two important areas. First, it confirms the GAO's right to make and retain copies of records, which has been denied by Federal agencies in some cases. And it provides the GAO with the right to interview agency officers and employees. The bill also says that the GAO's access to agency information should be limited only if an act passed by the Congress expressly and specifically extends to limit such access.

Additionally, the bill clarifies GAO's authority to administer oaths, an important tool in conducting audits and taking statements. Lastly, it provides agencies more flexibility in reporting to Congress in their responses to GAO recommendations. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform reported H.R. 2646 favorably on a voice vote on June 4, 2009.

At the committee markup, a bipartisan amendment was added to the bill that would have allowed the GAO to conduct reviews of certain actions taken by the Federal Reserve that previously have been exempt from GAO review. However, similar language was included in the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act which passed the House before the holiday recess.

Therefore, the legislation that we are considering today is the bill introduced by Representative Towns on June 4 and is without the committee's amendment related to the Federal Reserve.

Madam Speaker, the Congress and the American people need the GAO to help us remain informed about what's being done well and what needs to be improved within the Federal Government. The GAO can only do this effectively if it has access to all the information it needs. This bill strengthens the GAO in this manner. It is an important good-government initiative that will improve the effectiveness of government operations.

I urge all Members to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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