September 4, 1998
THOMPSON SCHEDULES HEARING ON INSPECTORS GENERAL
Washington, DC - Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, today announced the Committee will hold a public hearing on the state of the Inspectors General (IG) community on the 20th anniversary of the Inspector General Act. The hearing on "The Inspector General Act: Twenty Years Later" will be held on Wednesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 342, Dirksen Senate Office Building.
"Congress and the American people have been amply rewarded by their investment in the IGs," said Thompson. "Billions of dollars have been saved by the IGs' efforts as the taxpayers' guardians against waste, fraud and abuse."
Questions, however, have been raised about whether the IGs are as effective as they could be. One-third of large federal agencies and departments are without confirmed IGs or candidates. Efforts to limit IG independence at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the recent firing of an IG at the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, and troubled operations with the Department of Treasury IG that led to that IG's resignation raise serious oversight questions that need to be addressed by Congress.
"We need to explore whether the executive branch is providing the IGs with support and attention adequate to ensure their independence and effectiveness," remarked Thompson. "There are indications that it may not be doing enough."
WITNESS LIST FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1998
Ms. Susan M. Gaffney
Inspector General, HUD
Ms. June Gibbs Brown
Inspector General, HHS
The Honorable G. Edward DeSeve
Acting Deputy Director for Management, OMB
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