Top officials seek to undermine watchdogs’ work

[Guest guest]

This administration resists efforts to police itself.

Thus. . .

The CDC cannot be expected to police itself.

The FDA cannot be expected to police itself.

The NIEH (NIH) cannot be expected to police itself.

This is why a real Combatting Autism Act didn't have a snow-ball's

chance in hell getting into law in the last Congress. They protect,

not police dirty vaccines. The answer is in privately funded research.

Lenny

Top officials seek to undermine watchdogs' work

GOP attacks inspectors general

By Larry Margasak THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

http://tinyurl.com/yny2ho

WASHINGTON— The inspectors general entrusted to unearth waste, fraud

and abuse in federal agencies are increasingly under attack, as top

government officials they scrutinize try to erode the watchdogs'

independence and authority.

During 2006, several inspectors general felt the wrath of government

bosses or their supporters in Congress after investigations cited

agencies for poor performance, excessive spending or wasted money.

For instance:

• The top official of the government's property and supply agency

compared its inspector general to a terrorist, hoping to chill audits

of General Services Administration regional offices and private

businesses.

• Directors of the government's legal aid program discussed firing

their inspector general, who investigated how top officials lavishly

spent tax dollars for limousine services, ritzy hotels and $14 " Death

by Chocolate " desserts.

• Administration-friendly Republicans in Congress tried to do away

with the special inspector general for Iraq, who repeatedly exposed

examples of administration waste that cost billions of dollars. Among

the contractors criticized was Halliburton Corp., once headed by Vice

President Dick Cheney.

• The Pentagon has been making its inspector general use lawyers

picked by the secretary of defense instead of independently hired lawyers.

" It's hard to believe that the government is serious about policing

itself when it's whacking the people who are actually minding the

store, " said le , executive director of the Project On

Government Oversight, a nonpartisan group that tracks government waste

and fraud. " These people are our security officers who help guard tens

of billions of dollars. It's ridiculous to prevent them from doing

their jobs. "

Kevelighan, spokesman for the White House Office of Management

and Budget, said the Bush administration counts on " independent and

unbiased views " of the watchdogs and is willing to intervene in any

disputes.

" If and when there are times where intervention is necessary, the

administration will do so to ensure all the parties are educated about

one another's roles and the importance of maintaining a productive

relationship — and a healthy respect for the responsibilities of all

involved, " he added.

When GSA Inspector General 's team intensively audited the

agency's regional offices, he ran into strong resistance from agency

administrator Lurita Doan.

A business owner, Doan suggested some auditing functions be taken away

from the watchdog and given to small businesses.

" There are two kinds of terrorism in the U.S.: the external kind and

internally, the IGs have terrorized the regional administrators, " she

told and his staff on Aug. 18.

The quotes are from a participant's meeting notes obtained by The

Associated Press. aide s attended the meeting and

confirmed the comments, as did another attendee.

Doan declined comment.

The jobs of two watchdogs had to be rescued by Congress.

U.S. Rep. Duncan L. Hunter, R-Calif., outgoing chairman of the House

Armed Services Committee, inserted language in a defense bill to close

down the Iraq inspector general by the end of 2007.

That inspector general, Stuart Bowen Jr., has conducted several

investigations of how the Bush administration has spent money during

Iraqi reconstruction. He found dramatic examples of missing weapons,

wasted billions and excessive overhead costs by Halliburton.

Hunter said he agreed that Bowen's office had been useful but that a

termination date was needed so that normal oversight functions could

be returned to the Defense and State departments.

Democrats and key Republicans rebelled and saved Bowen's job.

" It is inconceivable that we would remove this aggressive oversight

while the American taxpayer is still spending billions of dollars on

Iraq reconstruction projects, " U.S. Sen. M. , R-Maine, said.

Congress and the Bush administration also have left open one of the

most critical watchdog jobs — the Pentagon inspector general's post.

The job has been vacant for 16 months, even as billions of dollars are

spent each month in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Bush's nominee, Laufman, withdrew recently because he

couldn't get a Senate vote.