Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, reportedly is pressing President Joe Biden to nominate inspector generals for the State and Treasury Departments, and for the Agency for International Development — positions that have been vacant for years.
Comer sent a letter to Biden on Monday to express concerns that the watchdog jobs are being held by temporary leadership, Government Executive reported.
The State Department IG position has been vacant for over 1,000 days after the Trump administration ousted Steve Linick, while the IG spot at USAID has been open for over 850 days and the same job at Treasury unfilled for almost 1,500 days.
"We write to express our concern that these vacancies with no nominee are limiting transparency and holding back efforts to ensure the federal government is working as efficiently as possible on behalf of the American people," Comer wrote, Government Executive reported. "Ongoing vacancies weaken IG offices, because temporary leadership is not well-suited for long-term planning and decision making."
Comer wrote that the panel is especially concerned about the State Department and USAID inspectors general vacancies, since they deal with the "invasion of Ukraine by Russia, civil unrest in Sudan, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and increased aggression by China, Iran, and North Korea."
According to Government Executive, there was a nominee during the last session of Congress for USAID IG — Nicole Angarella, now acting deputy IG — but Biden has yet to renominate her.
The long vacancy at Treasury could "hamper robust oversight of COVID-19 related spending and mitigation of financial risk and instability," Comer wrote.
Government Executive noted that Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., sent a similar letter last month to Biden.
In addition to the State, Treasury and USAID IGs, the senators also called for nominees for the National Security Agency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation IGs, as well as the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
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