Senator Hassan Questions GAO Comptroller General on OMB Information Access

GAO's Role and Challenges

• 🎯 GAO serves as Congress's independent, nonpartisan watchdog, crucial for oversight of the executive branch.
• 💡 Senator Hassan acknowledges the bipartisan interest in tackling waste, fraud, and abuse, particularly corporate fraud against the government.
• 👏 Comptroller General Gene Dodaro is thanked for his decades of service and GAO's role in fact-based oversight.

Access to Information and OMB Cooperation

• 🔑 Access to information is critical for GAO's work and independence, especially concerning impoundments.
• ⚠️ OMB has not been cooperating with GAO, forcing them to rely on information from court cases and sworn testimony.
• 🏛️ A past statutory requirement for OMB to list impoundments was removed and only reinstated after a court order.
• ⚖️ The DC Court of Appeals ruled that GAO may be the only entity authorized to sue OMB for information, a situation Hassan calls "ridiculous."

Solutions for Information Access

• 💰 The most effective tool for Congress to ensure GAO's access is the appropriations process, conditioning funds on cooperation.
• 🗣️ Oversight hearings and public transparency are also important, but less effective than financial leverage.
• 🚀 GAO does not agree with the court's interpretation of the law regarding their ability to sue.

Combating Scams and Fraud

• 📈 The global scam industry is costing the economy over a trillion dollars annually, exceeding the illicit drug trade.
• 🧩 GAO found federal efforts to combat scams are fragmented, lacking a clear governmentwide approach.
• 🤝 GAO recommended the FBI lead a coordinated governmentwide effort to deal with scams, which has begun with a working group.
• 🛠️ Congress can support this effort by encouraging the FBI to identify statutory changes needed to close loopholes and provide stronger tools.