jreeves
Senior Member
- Feb 12, 2008
- 6,588
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www.dcexaminer.com >> Politics
The provision, which attracted virtually no attention in the debate over the 1,073-page stimulus bill, creates something called the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board the RAT Board, as its known by the few insiders who are aware of it. The board would oversee the in-house watchdogs, known as inspectors general, whose job is to independently investigate allegations of wrongdoing at various federal agencies, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House.
In the name of accountability and transparency, Congress has given the RAT Board the authority to ask that an inspector general conduct or refrain from conducting an audit or investigation. If the inspector general doesnt want to follow the wishes of the RAT Board, hell have to write a report explaining his decision to the board, as well as to the head of his agency (from whom he is supposedly independent) and to Congress. In the end, a determined inspector general can probably get his way, but only after jumping through bureaucratic hoops that will inevitably make him hesitate to go forward.
If the Inspector general's office wants to conduct independent investigations, why should a political arm(RAT) created by Obama deny the Inspector General the right to conduct investigations?
The provision, which attracted virtually no attention in the debate over the 1,073-page stimulus bill, creates something called the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board the RAT Board, as its known by the few insiders who are aware of it. The board would oversee the in-house watchdogs, known as inspectors general, whose job is to independently investigate allegations of wrongdoing at various federal agencies, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House.
In the name of accountability and transparency, Congress has given the RAT Board the authority to ask that an inspector general conduct or refrain from conducting an audit or investigation. If the inspector general doesnt want to follow the wishes of the RAT Board, hell have to write a report explaining his decision to the board, as well as to the head of his agency (from whom he is supposedly independent) and to Congress. In the end, a determined inspector general can probably get his way, but only after jumping through bureaucratic hoops that will inevitably make him hesitate to go forward.
If the Inspector general's office wants to conduct independent investigations, why should a political arm(RAT) created by Obama deny the Inspector General the right to conduct investigations?
