Statement on the Appointment Process for the Comptroller General

This statement is in response to breaking news. Please contact pr@rstreet.org to speak with the scholars.

Congress appears to be rushing through the appointment process for the next Comptroller General, the head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In response, the R Street Institute’s Associate Policy Director in Governance, Jeremy Dalrymple, issued the following statement: 

“Congress needs a Comptroller General with the independence and judgement to scrutinize federal spending and serve members of both parties throughout a 15-year term. The upcoming hearing offers an opportunity to examine the nominee’s qualifications and commitment to serving Congress as an institution. Whoever is nominated deserves a fair evaluation on the merits. 

This vacancy was anticipated well in advance, as the prior Comptroller General’s 15-year term ended on December 29, 2025. Members of both parties had ample opportunity to engage in the selection process. Responsibility for advancing that process is shared across the commission and does not rest with any one individual. The process should be thorough and does not need to be rushed. There remains ample opportunity to complete the full selection and confirmation process before the end of the 119th Congress while giving each stage the attention it deserves. The commission gives both chambers a substantive role in evaluating candidates and ensuring that Congress exercises its own judgement.

With renewed focus on the appointment of the Comptroller General, Congress should take advantage of this interest to reform the appointment framework itself. GAO’s independence is essential to Congress’s oversight responsibilities and constitutional power of the purse. 

Congress should take responsibility for appointing the leader of its own legislative branch agency and establish clear procedures that support a timely, thorough selection process.”