On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) into law in response to the economic crisis facing the nation. The Act provided for unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability so that taxpayers knew where their tax dollars are being spent. Spearheaded by the recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, the Act contained built-in measures to detect and prevent waste, fraud, or mismanagement of recovery spending. DOT Inspector General Scovel served as Vice Chairman of the Recovery Board, which was committed to providing active oversight of recovery spending throughout Federal programs, contracts and grants.