The Future of Inspectors General
When: May 18, 2021 12pm-1:00pm ET
Where: Virtual
Who:
- Courtney Bublé, Staff Correspondent, Government Executive
- Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy, Project on Government Oversight
- Jonathan Bydlak, Director, Governance Program, R Street Institute
- James-Christian Blockwood, Executive Vice President, Partnership for Public Service
Congressional oversight of the executive branch is a critical prerogative. The Inspector General (IG) Act of 1978 established a series of offices to oversee the functioning of various executive departments. Since that time, IGs have been an important tool for preventing abuses of power, identifying lucrative cost savings and efficiency gains, and providing vital information necessary to crafting worthwhile legislation.
In recent years, the independence of IGs has been challenged, and some are calling to amend the 1978 Act to defend against these attacks. Why are inspectors general so important, and what does their future hold? Join us for the next meeting of the LegBranch Capacity Working Group as we discuss these questions and more with four experts on the topic.
Additional Reading:
Liz Hempowicz, “Improving Government Accountability and Transparency,” testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, May 3, 2021.
Jonathan Bydlak, “Trump hates inspectors general. But they’re the best way to drain the swamp,” Washington Post, April 10, 2020.
Craig Whitlock et al., “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War,” Washington Post, Dec. 9, 2019.
