H.Res. 273 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 273 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 25, 2013 Mr. Royce (for himself and Mr. Engel) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should nominate a qualified and independent individual for the position of Inspector General of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors to be confirmed by the Senate without delay. Whereas the Inspector General Act of 1978 mandates that Inspectors General are to conduct independent and objective audits, investigations, and inspections, prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse, promote economy, effectiveness, and efficiency, review pending legislation and regulations, and keep the agency heads and Congress fully and currently informed; Whereas the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) detects, investigates, and prevents instances of fraud, waste, and mismanagement that may constitute either criminal wrongdoing or violation of Department of State or BBG regulations; Whereas the OIG inspects United States diplomatic and consular posts and international broadcasting installations throughout the world to determine whether policy goals are being achieved and whether the interests of the United States are being represented and advanced effectively; Whereas the OIG conducts specialized security inspections and audits in support of the Department of State’s mission to provide effective protection to United States personnel, facilities, and sensitive information; Whereas the Department of State employs a total of nearly 70,000 personnel, consisting of approximately 24,500 direct hire Foreign Service and Civil Service personnel, over 9,300 of whom are stationed overseas, and more than 45,000 locally employed staff, creating difficult accountability challenges; Whereas a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed Inspector General provides the leadership and accountability within an OIG necessary to oversee a cabinet-level agency and fulfill the duties described in this resolution, while instilling confidence in agency interlocutors and Congress; Whereas the position of Inspector General for the Department of State and BBG has been vacant since January 16, 2008, a span of nearly 2,000 days, and is being filled by an interim appointment; Whereas this vacancy is the longest of any OIG across the Federal Government; and Whereas filling this vacancy will help ensure that the OIG provides the robust oversight necessary to keep Congress fully and currently informed, protect the United States taxpayer, and ensure good governance: Now, therefore, be it That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should nominate a qualified and independent individual for the position of Inspector General for the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors to be confirmed by the Senate without delay.