Porter Goss: “during the considering by the Committee on House International Relations of this bill, language was adopted which would…”

“during the considering by the Committee on House International Relations of this bill, language was adopted which would have significant and unfortunate consequences for the future of the Office of Inspector General at the State Department, and potentially for all other inspectors general in the Federal Government. This proposal could greatly limit the IG's ability to conduct effective oversight and departmental investigations, and it is a serious matter. While this proposal was slightly modified and approved, I understand, before it was adopted by HIRC, this proposed legislation will undermine important oversight law that IG's across the Government have performed since the enactment of the Inspector General Act of 1978, almost 20 years ago. My amendment is quite simple. It strikes the provision, section 1329, in its entirety. I understand and I can sympathize with the interest of some Members in sending a warning shot across the bow of the Inspector General so as to ensure the treatment of all government employees must be fair and evenhanded. That is certainly a proposition I stand for. I would suggest that the debate so far on this has been a message sent and a message already received down at the Department of State. So I think that the genesis of this and the author's intent has in large part been taken care of. But I have got real trouble with the attempted fix that is actually in the bill now, and I believe it must be stricken.”