Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass S. 579, the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2015. I want to thank Senator McCaskill for her hard work on this and her support and Senator Grassley for his many years as a real champion of this cause, as well as the other bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation and for the work their staff have done on this very important issue. In 1978 Congress created a crucial oversight partner for all of us-- inspectors general. They are independent watchdogs embedded in each agency, accountable only to Congress and the American people. That is crucial. They are the American people's eyes and ears, and they are our best partner in rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. As an example, in fiscal year 2014 alone, inspectors general identified $45 billion in potential savings to the taxpayer. What this bill aims to do is to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse by increasing accountability and ensuring transparency. The bill exempts inspectors general from time-consuming and independence-threatening requirements such as the computer matching and paperwork reduction statutes. It allows inspectors general to compel the testimony of former agency employees or Federal contractors and grant recipients in some administrative misconduct or civil fraud cases.…”