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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2020
Contact: Brooke Lillard, 202-225-2965
Blue Dogs Back Legislation to Empower, Protect Inspectors General
WASHINGTON-Today, the Blue Dog Coalition, which focuses on issues related to fiscal responsibility and national security, announced its endorsement of the Inspectors General Independence Act<[link removed]>, which establishes seven-year terms for Inspectors General (IGs) and protects them from politically-motivated firings by only allowing for removal for cause. The bill was introduced by Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05), a longtime member of the Blue Dog Coalition and advocate for government reform, following a series of actions<[link removed]> by the White House that have undermined the ability of IGs to oversee the government's pandemic response. Those actions have raised bipartisan concern<[link removed]> on Capitol Hill.
In 2007, the House of Representatives passed these measures with overwhelming bipartisan support<[link removed]> as part of the Improving Government Accountability Act, which later became the Inspector General Reform Act<[link removed]> and passed the Senate with unanimous support in 2008. The bill was signed into law in 2008, but the seven-year term and protections against political retribution were removed from the enacted version. The Inspectors General Independence Act would add back these two components from Rep. Cooper's original bill. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is the sponsor of the Senate companion of this legislation.
"At a time when Congress has never spent so much money so quickly, oversight from Inspectors General has never been more essential," said Rep. Cooper. "Our country is facing a crisis we've never seen before and bad actors should be held accountable."
"Trillions of taxpayer dollars are being spent on protecting our health and supporting our economy," said Rep. Ben McAdams (UT-04), Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility & Government Reform. "Now, more than ever, we must have independent watchdogs to ensure full transparency and that we get the most for every tax dollar spent. Oversight must be free of political interference and influence."
"The necessity for independent Inspectors General throughout our federal government has never been greater," said Rep. Ed Case (HI-01), Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility & Government Reform. "Even in normal times the value of insulated oversight within the federal executive branch is immeasurable. With the unprecedented level of accelerated federal spending necessitated by the COVID-19 crisis, there is a grave danger of abuse, fraud, insider trading, waste and profiteering that left unaddressed will seriously compromise our goals, diminish critical resources, destroy public trust and cost lives. Only the strongest, most credible, balanced, constant and committed oversight through independent Inspectors General will avoid these results."
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The Blue Dog Coalition is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives comprised of fiscally-responsible Democrats, who are leading the way to find commonsense solutions. They are pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense for our country, and transcending party lines to get things done for the American people. Visit our website<[link removed]> to learn more, and get the latest news updates by following us on Twitter<[link removed]> or liking us on Facebook<[link removed]>.
