Congress advances Young’s government accountability bill to president

A bipartisan bill championed by U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) to improve oversight of federal agencies is set to become law.

The Good Accounting Obligation in Government Act, S. 2276, which Sen. Young sponsored on Jan. 4, 2018 with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), requires federal agencies to submit reports in their annual budget justifications submitted to Congress on any unresolved recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 21 approved S. 2276, 382-2, and sent the measure to the president’s desk to be signed into law. The U.S. Senate passed the bill on Dec. 6 by unanimous consent.

“Implementing these important recommendations will save taxpayer dollars, improve government efficiency, help Congress make decisions, and drastically improve government programs,” Sen. Young said. “I’m hopeful that the president will quickly sign this bill into law for the benefit of Hoosiers and all Americans.”

According to a Dec. 21 statement from Sen. Young’s office, several OIG and GAO recommendations currently remain open and unimplemented, including 2013 GAO recommendations that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs improve military veterans’ access to medical care by reducing wait times; a 2015 GAO recommendation that the U.S. Department of Justice increase how progress is measured toward reducing overcrowded prisons, as well as recidivism rates; and a 2018 GAO recommendation calling for fixes to grant programs and compliance monitoring processes at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Failure to act on these recommendations could negatively impact the lives of all Americans,” according to Young’s statement, which added that S. 2276 would ensure that Congress and taxpayers have the necessary information to hold federal agencies accountable.

“The House and Senate have now both approved a set of new, bipartisan tools to identify and fix problems all over the federal government, so it can work better for all Americans,” Sen. Warren said. “I was proud to work with Senator Young to get this done.”

S. 2276 was presented to the president on Dec. 27.