Support is quietly growing across the ideological spectrum on Capitol Hill for measures intended to toughen congressional oversight muscles that have been allowed to atrophy for several decades under majorities of both political parties.
The first beneficiary of the gathering push could be the Government Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, which has repeatedly requested more resources in recent years, only to be rejected by lawmakers.
The letter was addressed to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the ranking Republican member of the appropriations committee, and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), the top GOP member of the panel’s subcommittee on the legislative branch.
Leaders of liberal-oriented nonprofits interviewed by The Epoch Times on Nov. 8 also expressed support for the call to increase GAO’s budget.
“Sadly, the agency has suffered significant funding cuts over the last three decades, so a relatively modest restoration of its funding levels will yield benefits measured in the billions,” Schuman said.
Similarly, Project on Government Oversight’s (POGO) Tim Stretton told The Epoch Times that “for far too long, Congress has failed to properly increase their capacity to do oversight of our sprawling federal government by not adequately investing in the Government Accountability Office.”
Stretton, who directs POGO’s Congressional Oversight Initiative, observed that “given the trillions of dollars in new spending as a result of the ongoing pandemic, a boost in funding for this congressional watchdog couldn’t come at a better time.”
Conservative veterans of congressional staffs and executive branch appointments also lauded the push. Robert Moffit, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told The Epoch Times that “at a time of intense political polarization and growing public distrust fueled by transparently partisan ’talking points,' Congress today needs GAO to help fulfill its primary constitutional responsibilities. Ultimately the job of Congress, as [founder James] Madison envisioned it, is the formulation of public policy based on a rational deliberation among the elected representatives of the American people.”
And similarly, Brian Darling, former senior counsel to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), said GAO is “is the one government institution that needs more money to save taxpayer money. More Congressional oversight of resources is needed to put a dent in our national debt fast approaching $30 trillion.”
In their letter to Shelby and Braun, the coalition members pointed to the aggressive use of executive orders (EO) by President Joe Biden as a key justification for reviving and strengthening congressional oversight capacities.
“The proliferation of executive action under the Biden administration makes it all the more important that Congress work to restore the balance of powers and reign in executive overreach,” the letter-signers wrote.
“If Congress is intent on continuing to spend with reckless abandon, it should at least commensurately fund its oversight and legislative capacities within the existing funding levels,” the coalition writers concluded. “Rebuilding Congress to its former strength and reasserting its constitutional role is essential to a proper and accountable government.”
The coalition also expressed support for increasing funding for the Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional Research Service, as well as improving staff levels and compensation.
“Retaining experienced staff is essential to promoting effective legislating and oversight, and a lack of investment in staffing has enabled the transfer of many Article I authorities to the Executive Branch. If Congress is to stand up to the administrative state without being outmanned and outgunned, it must invest in the staff that brings the experience and authority required,” the coalition stated.
