Lawfare: Inspector General Reform on the Table
Presidential Reform Project co-chairs Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith published the following article in Lawfare analyzing the critical issue of inspector general reform being taken up by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.
At the top of the list of those responsible for executive branch accountability in the 21st century are the statutory inspectors general that now populate every major executive branch agency. On Wednesday, Oct. 6, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs will consider three bills—the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2021, the IG Testimonial Subpoena Authority Act and the IG Independence and Empowerment Act—that would expand the independence and power of inspectors general in important respects. This post reviews the central reforms, urges the passage of one of them, and assesses the others.