WASHINGTON—Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter Friday to 72 agencies’ office of the  inspector general (OIGs) across the executive branch.  The issuance follows a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday examining how Congress can better support and empower the work of inspectors general.  The letter requests information from OIGs on open and unimplemented recommendations and the aggregate cost savings of the recommendations to agencies, if implemented.  The letter also seeks information on any attempts by agencies to interfere with OIG independence, including efforts to limit the capabilities of the OIG or attempts to restrict communications between the OIG and Congress. 

Senator Johnson said,  “Every day, inspectors general across the executive branch make recommendations that could save millions of taxpayer dollars and promote a better, more efficient government.  But as the inspectors general at this week’s hearing confirmed, oftentimes agencies ignore their recommendations or present obstacles to publishing findings by slowing and even denying access to documents.  We want to ensure inspectors general have the tools necessary to conduct their work without interference, and that our committee members have the information they need to help in that effort.” 

Senator Grassley said, “Congress often hears when an agency stonewalls an inspector general but not always.  This letter gives every inspector general the chance to weigh in on problems.  If an inspector general doesn’t have interference problems, Congress ought to know that, too.  Getting a handle on open recommendations is important for taxpayers and good government.  Agencies should implement inspector general recommendations as soon as possible, and if they can’t, they should account for why not.”

An electronic version of the letter can be found here.

Below is a list of all inspectors general who received the senators’ letter.

Ms. Catherine Trujillo, Acting Deputy Inspector General, Agency for International Development

Mr. Tom Howard, Inspector General, Amtrak

Mr. Hubert Sparks, Inspector General, Appalachian Regional Commission

Mr. Kevin Mulshine, Inspector General, Architect of the Capitol

Hon. David Buckley, Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency

Mr. A. Roy Lavik, Inspector General, Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Mr. Christopher W. Dentel, Inspector General, Consumer Product Safety Commission

Hon. Deborah Jeffrey, Inspector General, Corporation for National and Community Service

Ms. Mary, Mitchelson, Inspector General, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Ms. Kristi Waschull, Inspector General, Defense Intelligence Agency

Mr. Richard J. Griffin, Acting Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Curtis Crider, Inspector General, U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Mr. Milton Mayo, Inspector General, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Mr. Michael McCarthy, Acting Inspector General, Export-Import Bank of the United States

Ms. Elizabeth M. Dean Counsel to the Inspector General, Farm Credit Administration

Mr. David Hunt, Inspector General, Federal Communications Commission

Mr. Fred W. Gibson, Acting Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Mr. Lynne A. McFarland, Inspector General, Federal Election Commission

Hon. Laura S. Wertheimer, Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency

Ms. Dana Rooney, Inspector General, Federal Labor Relations Authority

Mr. Jon Hatfield, Inspector General, Federal Maritime Commission

Mr. Mark Bialek, Inspector General, Federal Reserve Board/Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection

Ms. Roslyn A. Mazer Acting Inspector General, Federal Trade Commission

Mr. Robert C. Erickson, Deputy Inspector General, General Services Administration

Mr. Adam Trzeciak, Inspector General, Government Accountability Office

Mr. Michael Raponi, Inspector General, Government Printing Office

Mr. Jeffrey E. Schanz, Inspector General, Legal Services Corporation

Mr. Kurt W. Hyde, Inspector General, Library of Congress

Hon. Paul K. Martin, Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mr. James E. Springs, Acting Inspector General, National Archives

Mr. James Hagen, Inspector General, National Credit Union Administration

Ms. Tonie Jones, Inspector General, National Endowment for the Arts

Ms. Laura Davis, Inspector General, National Endowment for the Humanities

Mr. Joseph Composto, Inspector General, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Mr. David Berry, Inspector General, National Labor Relations Board

Mr. Adam G. Harris, Inspector General, National Reconnaissance Office

Ms. Allison C. Lerner, Inspector General,   National Science Foundation

Dr. George Ellard, Inspector General, National Security Agency

Hon. Hubert T. Bell, Inspector General, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Hon. Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management

Hon. I. Charles McCullough III., Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community

Ms. Kathy A. Buller, Inspector General, Peace Corps

Ms. Deborah Stover-Springer, Acting Inspector General, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Mr. Jack Callender, Inspector General, Postal Regulatory Commission

Hon. Martin J. Dickman, Inspector General, Railroad Retirement Board

Mr. Carl Hoecker, Inspector General, Securities and Exchange Commission

Hon. Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General, Small Business Administration

Ms. Cathy Helm, Inspector General, Smithsonian Institution

Hon. Patrick P. O'Carroll Jr., Inspector General, Social Security Administration

Hon. Christy Romero, Special Inspector General, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program

Hon. Richard Moore, Inspector General, Tennessee Valley Authority

Mr. David Sheppard, Acting Inspector General, Denali Commission

Hon. J. Russell George, Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Ms. Fay F. Ropella, Inspector General, U.S. Capitol Police

Hon. Phyllis Fong, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Hon. Todd J. Zinser, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Commerce

Hon. John T. Rymer, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense

Hon. Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education

Hon. Gregory H. Friedman, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of Energy

Hon. Daniel Levinson, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Hon. John Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Hon. David A. Montoya, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice

Hon. Scott Dahl, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor

Hon. Steve Linick, Inspector General, U.S. Department of State

Ms. Mary Kendall, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior

Hon. Eric M. Thorson, Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Hon. Calvin L. Scovel III., Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation

Hon. Arthur A. Elkins Jr., Inspector General, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mr. Philip M. Heneghan, Inspector General, U.S. International Trade Commission

Mr. Dave Williams, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service

Mr. John F. Sopko, Inspector General, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction

 

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