President Obama needs to appoint a permanent inspector general to take the reins overseeing the Interior Department, according to Republican lawmakers.
The lawmakers wrote in a June 1 letter to President Obama that the Interior Department has not had a full-time inspector general since 2009, which weakens its independence and investigative ability.
The letter was signed by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Reps. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Ken Calvert, R-Calif., the subcommittee chairman overseeing the Interior Department on the House Appropriations Committee.
“The long-standing vacancy has reduced the Department’s efficiency and deprived taxpayers from fully realizing the benefits of a strong inspector general, which is one of Congress’s best investments of their tax dollars,” the lawmakers wrote.
Lawmakers also said the tenure of acting IG Mary Kendall “has been the subject of recent, significant congressional oversight and controversy.” Some lawmakers had accused Kendall of conflicts of interest relating to the IG’s handling of its investigation into President Obama’s deepwater drilling moratorium in 2010.
“Because acting inspectors general are inherently less independent than their permanent counterparts, however, stakeholders do not have full confidence that their work is credible. Additionally, some acting inspectors general are candidates for the permanent job, which creates an incentive to conduct less aggressive oversight of the administration. In any event, taxpayers suffer the consequences,” the lawmakers wrote.
The interior Department budget exceeded $12 billion in fiscal 2015, and the agency manages the leasing of federal oil and gas resources. The agency also helps manage energy issues and disaster response efforts.
“We respectfully request that you nominate an inspector general for the Department of Interior,” lawmakers wrote.
