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Freshman Congresswoman passes an amendment that increases transparency and accountability in the Federal Government
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, local Congresswoman
Kirsten Gillibrand passed an amendment on the floor of the House of
Representatives to mandate that the Inspectors General of federal
agencies be more transparent in their findings of waste, fraud and
abuse in the federal government to increase accountability in an effort
to save taxpayer dollars. The amendment was to the Improving
Government Accountability Act [H.R. 928], which is designed to promote
independence and accountability for Inspector General Offices in
executive branch agencies.
Specifically, the amendment requires:
The
Inspector General of each agency shall post- one day after made
publicly available- all report or audit on the website of the Office of
the Inspector General
Ensure that any posted report or audit be easily accessible from the website of the Office of the Inspector General
Includes a summary of the findings of the Inspector General
Is in a searchable, sortable and downloadable format
2) The
Inspector General of each agency shall establish a link of their
website for individuals to report waste, fraud and abuse anonymously
3) The
Inspector General of each agency shall provide a service on their
website that allows individuals to elect to receive information
relating to any new posted report or audit
4) Each agency should link to the website of the Office of Inspector General of that agency
"With
a $9 trillion debt, it is clear that the Federal Government spends too
much. My amendment is designed to increase accountability, by ensuring
that the federal government spends taxpayer dollars responsibly,"
Representative Gillibrand said. "Middle Class families in Upstate New
York pay too much in taxes to Washington, and it is an insult to them
when the federal government squanders their hard-earned money."
Representative
Gillibrand continued, "Since the internet is one of the main ways that
Americans receive information, the Inspectors General should be
required to post all their audits and reports in a timely fashion, and
give Americans the ability to anonymously report waste, fraud and abuse
that may be occurring in the federal government. Increased
transparency will lead to better governance and less abuse of taxpayer
money."
Inspectors General investigate fraud, waste and abuse
in federal agencies. Last year, Inspectors General resulted in $9.9
billion in potential savings from audit recommendations and $6.8
billion in investigative recoveries. There are 58 Inspector General
Offices, and they are placed in every major federal agency.
Congresswoman
Gillibrand has taken unprecedented steps to make her office accountable
and transparent to her constituents. She is one of only a handful of
Members in the House to post her schedule online every day and one of
the first to post a list of all earmark requests she made on behalf of
the district.
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