September 15, 2005   SENATORS SUSAN COLLINS AND JOSEPH LIEBERMAN UNVEIL BILL TO ASSIGN AN IG TO OVERSEE KATRINA-RELATED EXPENDITURES   WASHINGTON, DC—During a press conference on Capitol Hill earlier today, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Susan Collins and Ranking Member Joseph Lieberman, unveiled details of a bill they are introducing to help ensure that the billions of taxpayer dollars appropriated for recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are spent effectively and free from waste, fraud, and abuse. Their legislation would direct the Special Inspector General for Relief and Reconstruction (SIGR) to oversee and audit federal Katrina-related expenditures which, to date, already exceed $60 billion. Co-sponsors for the legislation will include Senators John Sununu (R-NH), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) During the press conference today to discuss details of the legislation the Senators expressed the importance of immediately putting into place a mechanism to oversee the billions of dollars that will be directed to Hurricane Katrina recovery and relief efforts. They said that there is a responsibility to American taxpayers to ensure that these dollars are spent wisely. “The scope of the Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery effort is extraordinary. And it will continue to grow. It stands to reason that the safeguards Congress puts in place to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse must also be extraordinary to protect taxpayers’ investment,” said Senator Collins. Senator Lieberman added, “Our legislation would put a cop on the beat to find waste, fraud, and corruption of the public money appropriated for relief in response to Hurricane Katrina. It would also let everyone know that this cop is on the beat now, not six months, or a year, or two years from now. This is the best way to make sure that the money gets to where we want it to go.” Specifically, the Senators’ proposal would expand the authority of the Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction without diverting any resources from oversight of expenditures in Iraq. The Senator explained that by utilizing the current IG, there are already systems in place to oversee Katrina-related expenditures within 10 days of enactment. The IG’s oversight would include: • A 24-hour fraud, waste, and abuse hotline and widely publicize it in the Gulf Region. • Quickly hire, coordinate, and deploy auditors and investigators to the Gulf Region. • A strategic oversight plan that includes audits of no bid contractors • Coordination with oversight in the agencies and states involved in reconstruction. • Reporting regularly to Congress on the status of Hurricane Katrina activities.   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 September 2005 Press Releases   September 30 - GAO Releases Report On NASA’s Misuse Of Passenger Aircraft, Waste Of Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars   September 29 - Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Requests Extensive Government Documents For Hurricane Katrina Investigation   September 28 - Senators Collins and Lieberman Hold Katrina Hearing To Discuss Immediate Needs Of Victims And Communities   September 23 - Senators Collins and Frist Correspondence on Hurricane Investigation   September 22 - Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Approves Bills To Help Victims Of Hurricane Katrina   September 21 - Senators Collins And Lieberman Introduce Bill To Help Improve Communications For First Responders   September 21 - Senators Collins And Lieberman Hold Hearing On Transit Security To Examine Lessons Learned From The London Attacks   September 19 - GAO Releases Report To Senators Collins And Lieberman On U.S. Govt Efforts To Curtail Islamic Extremism   September 16 - Senators Susan Collins And Joseph Lieberman Call On DHS To Issue Unclassified Version Of Natl Transportation Security Strategy   September 15 current Press Release   September 14 - Senators Collins, Lieberman Hold First Congressional Hurricane Katrina Hearing   September 12 - Senator Collins Releases Statement on Resignation of FEMA Director Michael Brown   September 9 - Senator Collins Releases Statement On Sec Chertoff’s Assignment Of Vice Adm Thad Allen To Katrina Efforts   September 7 - Senator Collins Comments On Announcement Of Bipartisan, Bicameral Hurricane Response Committee   September 2 - Senators Collins and Lieberman Launch Oversight Investigation Of Hurricane Relief Efforts, Emergency Preparedness To Learn Lessons For Future Disasters   September 2 - DHS Proposes New Rules On Documents Needed For Travel To U.S. From Canada, Mexico Proposal   September 1 - Senate Approves $10 Billion Relief Aid for Gulf Coast Hurricane Victims
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510