U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) led bipartisan members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in a letter urging President Donald Trump on Tuesday to fill vacant inspectors general (IG) positions.
Johnson, the chairman of the committee, noted in the letter that there were 10 vacancies of presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed IGs and three vacancies for agency-appointed IGs. Many government agencies have an independent Office of the Inspector General that is responsible for auditing federal programs to target waste, fraud, and abuse.
“While many acting IGs have served admirably in the absence of permanent leadership, the lack of a permanent leader threatens to impede the ability of these offices to conduct the oversight and investigations necessary to ensure that taxpayer dollars are protected, public safety risks are identified, and that whistleblowers who expose waste, fraud and abuse are protected,” the letter states. “In addition, the lack of a permanent IG can create the potential for conflicts of interest and diminish the essential independence of IGs.”
Agencies that currently lack permanent IGs include the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency, Energy Department, Defense Department, Office of Personnel and Management, Social Security Administration, Interior Department, National Security Agency, Small Business Administration and Intelligence Community. Many of the positions have been vacant for a year or more.
The letter notes that the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) has been meeting with the White House about candidates for IG positions, and that committee members are ready to work with the CIGIE and the administration to identify “qualified and capable candidates” for the positions.
U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Rob Portman (R-OH) were among the bipartisan members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee who signed the letter.