Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) have submitted a bill that proposes changes to some functions of agency inspectors general, investigations on IG misconduct and reporting on IG vacancies.Johnson’s office said Thursday the proposed amendments to the Inspector General Act of 1978 seek to empower IGs, boost transparency and increase cooperation between Congress and the IG offices.
“Inspectors general at each agency perform a crucial mission: to root out waste, fraud and mismanagement within the federal government,” said Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“This bill gives inspectors general more tools to investigate agencies and ferret out improper payments, and it helps ensure the independence of our federal watchdogs.”
The bipartisan bill includes provisions that provide IGs limited authority for subpoenas to former federal workers and government contractors to provide testimony on investigations and also to gather and compare computer matching data from agencies, the release says.
The senators also propose requirements for IGs to report to Congress on work-related issues and for the Government Accountability Office to report on IG vacancies and their impact, as well as modify the integrity committee membership within the Council of the Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency.
