House and Senate lawmakers from both parties introduced legislation this week that would formally authorize the inspector general community’s website.
Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced the “Oversight.gov Authorization Act" on Monday and Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Jody Hice, R-Ga., unveiled a companion bill on Tuesday. In October 2017, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency launched Oversight.gov to consulate reports from the 73 IGs across the government to give the public easier access. This was a volunteer effort and not done with appropriated funds.
The legislation would “formally authorize the establishment and maintenance of this website to help improve the public’s access to IG reports and other related material, as well as help whistleblowers report waste, fraud and abuse,” the lawmakers said in a press release. “Additionally, the bill would improve accountability over funds related to COVID-19 federal spending and the work of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee by bolstering the webpage dedicated to housing this information as mandated under the CARES Act.” The Justice Department and NASA inspectors general lead the pandemic committee that includes 19 IGs and deputy IGs who are working to ensure that the trillions of dollars in relief funds are not misspent.
The bill would authorize $3.5 million for fiscal 2021 through the end of fiscal 2030 through a “revolving fund,” which requires special authorization from Congress to finance a business-type operation. This is the first time it's receiving a set ..
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