Congressman Robert Garcia Passes Bill to Strengthen Oversight of Government Accountability Office

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Senator Mike Braun’s (R-IN) bipartisan bill to improve government oversight and effectiveness has passed the U.S. House. The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent in November 2023, and will now be sent to President Biden to be signed into law. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) Inspector General Parity Act will strengthen the GAO’s Inspector General (IG) independence and effectiveness, granting the GAO IG an independent general counsel and allowing the IG to communicate its budget requests directly with Congress. This will ensure that the GAO can more effectively pursue its mission of detecting waste, fraud, and abuse in government operations. The GAO Inspector General Parity Act will be the first bill sponsored by Congressman Garcia to be signed into law. The full text of the legislation is available here.

“The Government Accountability Office plays a key role in overseeing our government operations to detect waste, fraud, and abuse. To do this effectively, GAO’s Inspector General needs the tools, independence, and resources to accomplish their mission,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “My bill will provide the GAO IG with the critical functions needed for proper agency oversight. These reforms are an important step in strengthening government accountability and ensuring that one of our most vital oversight agencies can operate effectively and without interference.”

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress with objective, fact-based information to help save money and improve efficiency.

Congressman Garcia is dedicated to cutting red tape and improving government efficiency. On the Oversight Committee, he works to ensure all government operations are effective and streamlined. Last year, he introduced the “FLASH Act” Fast-Track Logistics for Acquiring Supplies in a Hurry Act of 2023 to help the Department of Health and Human Services cut through red tape to quickly buy critical medical materials during emergencies—from PPE to tests and vaccines—as well as the materials needed to make and distribute medical supplies. Additionally, Congressman Garcia sponsored the bipartisan Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2023, which passed the House in May. That legislation will increase government efficiency by eliminating unnecessary federal agency reports to Congress, saving taxpayer dollars and allowing agencies to focus on their core missions. 

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