Andy Biggs: “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I rise in support of my amendment, which prohibits the use of funds to pay…”

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I rise in support of my amendment, which prohibits the use of funds to pay the salary and expenses of DHS Director of the Departmental GAO-OIG liaison office Jim Crumpacker. Director Crumpacker leads DHS's Department of OIG liaison office, an office tasked with maintaining mutually beneficial and productive relations with GAO and the OIG. That is what Mr. Crumpacker stated in testimony before the Senate several years ago. Unfortunately, under the Biden administration, that mutually beneficial and productive relationship has broken down completely. DHS continues to obstruct oversight by its own inspector general in violation of the agency's obligations under the Inspector General Act. Last year, then-Ranking Member Comer and Oversight Committee Republicans opened an investigation into reports that the Department of Homeland Security was obstructing efforts by their inspector general to conduct oversight over DHS programs and policies consistent with its obligations under the Inspector General Act. At the time the letter was sent, committee Republicans had uncovered a memo circulated to Customs and Border Protection employees, which essentially encouraged CBP employees to resist OIG's request for access to CBP systems. Think of that. You have a memo going out to CBP employees saying, Don't cooperate with the OIG.…”