James Comer: “This amendment strips out the three provisions of this legislation that do not have bipartisan support in order for the…”

“This amendment strips out the three provisions of this legislation that do not have bipartisan support in order for the IG Independence and Empowerment Act to move forward with the full support of the U.S. House. Both sides of the aisle can then come back to the table to fix the remaining provisions in a manner that addresses concerns on both sides of the aisle. Specifically, my amendment strikes title I, which would artificially constrain the President from removing or reassigning an IG to one of nine specific reasons listed in the provision. As drafted, title I would have the effect of prohibiting a President from removing an IG who is acting in bad faith and undermining a duly elected President's policies in a purely partisan manner. My amendment also strikes title III, which strictly limits who the President could name as the acting inspector general to the ``first assistant.'' This provision does not include any commonsense exceptions, creating unintended consequences. For example, it could elevate an individual to acting IG who may be engaged in the same misconduct which caused the original IG to have been removed. Lastly, my amendment strikes title V of the bill, which grants inspectors general the authority to issue subpoenas to compel the testimony of former Federal officials, including political appointees.…”