Chaffetz, Cummings, Meadows Legislation Empowering Inspectors General Signed into Law

WASHINGTON – Today, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) released the following statement after President Obama signed H.R. 6450, the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016, into law.

“We’re pleased to see this bill become a reality. This bipartisan legislation will help inspectors general root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and it will pave the way toward greater openness and transparency in government.”

Bill highlights: 

• H.R. 6450 clarifies Congress’s intent for inspectors general (IGs) to have complete access to the information and materials they need to identify waste, fraud, and abuse at the agency they oversee. The legislation enhances the IGs’ tools for obtaining evidence to support their investigations and to identify and prevent improper or fraudulent payments.
• H.R. 6450 passed by unanimous consent in both the House (December 8) and Senate (December 10). A similar bill, H.R. 2395, the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016 passed the House in June 2016.