Lawmakers Launch Bipartisan Process to Select New GAO Head

Bipartisan congressional leaders are set to recommend candidates to President Donald Trump to replace Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), for the first time in nearly 20 years, Politico reported Tuesday.

Orice Williams Brown, a longtime GAO employee, is stepping in to lead the more than 3,000-person agency in an acting capacity as Congress searches for a sober and judicious nominee to serve the 15-year term.

If approved by the Senate, the new comptroller general would oversee the agency as it investigates whether the Trump administration illegally withheld billions of dollars in 2025.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told the outlet that lawmakers will be looking for "someone who's honest."

"I think it would be a mistake to get somebody who's been real active in political processes," Paul said.

By law, Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, holds a seat on a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers responsible for recommending at least three possible candidates for the president to nominate.

Although Paul and several Republican colleagues have expressed appreciation for the GAO's work, the comptroller general has recently faced pressure to sue the Trump administration over withheld federal funds.

That pressure intensified after the Supreme Court suggested this fall that the GAO head may be the only party with legal standing under long-running impoundment law.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who will also serve on the panel, outlined his expectations for the role earlier this month, saying the next comptroller general must be "willing to call balls and strikes regardless of which party occupies the White House."

Peters added that Dodaro is leaving behind "a legacy of tremendous credibility, integrity, and independence."

The Senate panel will include Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.; Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who serves as president pro tempore.

The House delegation will feature Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the panel's ranking Democrat.

Comer also praised Dodaro earlier this month, saying in a House speech that he is "deeply respected across the government and the oversight community for his integrity, candor, and dedication."

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