Hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee - Nomination of Roslyn A. Mazer to be Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security

Statement

We convene today to consider the nomination of Roslyn Mazer to become the next Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security. This Committee's jurisdiction includes not only oversight of the Department of Homeland Security but also the work of Inspectors General, government-wide.

Inspectors General are a vital part of the federal government -- conducting oversight of federal agencies, identifying program vulnerabilities, exposing fraud and improper payments, and promoting effective government.

Most recently, Ms. Mazer served as the Inspector General for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She also served as the chair of the Intelligence Community Inspectors General Forum, working with all Intelligence Community elements, including DHS.

The ODNI Inspector General's Office employs approximately thirty-five people and produces several reports annually. In contrast, the DHS Office of Inspector General employs more than 670 employees, making it the fifth largest IG office in the federal government. The DHS OIG issues about 120 reports each year. So there is an enormous difference in the scope, activity level, and management challenges of the two offices.

Given the mission of DHS and the size of its IG Office, it is imperative that we have an Inspector General who not only has extensive relevant experience but also is a skillful manager. The IG must empower employees to do their jobs and ensure timely, high-quality products.

The nominee's background is, in many ways, impressive and includes considerable experience in the IG community. Notably, in addition to her most recent role, Ms. Mazer served for seven years in the Justice Department's OIG. The Committee has received several endorsement letters.

At the same time, one year into Ms. Mazer's tenure as IG -- and after hearing concerns from some of her employees -- the Director of National Intelligence commissioned a climate survey of the OIG staff. The results of that survey raise many concerns about Ms. Mazer's effectiveness as a manager and her impact on the Office's productivity.

Given these concerns, Committee staff have reviewed the reports issued by the office during Ms. Mazer's tenure. Staff found a significant drop--by over half--in the number of substantial reports issued by the Office of Inspector General. The Committee has also received an on-the-record statement from the current Assistant Inspector General for Inspections at the ODNI reiterating concerns about Ms. Mazer's management abilities.

I approach this nomination with both an open mind and many questions. Has the experience of managing a small IG office prepared Ms. Mazer for the challenge of managing one of the largest? Is the nominee able to generate high-quality reports and audits quickly enough to be relevant and to lead to policy changes in time to fix problems? And, what has she done to overcome the management challenges specified in the climate survey?

I have no doubt that Ms. Mazer is an excellent attorney. This is not the question before us. This Committee must determine if she has the ability to lead one of the largest and most important IG offices in the entire government.

Source