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Return to Article: GAO powers would increase under bill moved by House

• 55473
  

  What we need now is a novel where GAO is the not so veiled organization manipulating the country in the direction some sinister and/or misguided perhaps elitist for profit folks want it to go vice the will of the people and the REAL representatives not to be confused with folks that have enough money to buy into politics or manipulated in by press coverage, spin doctoring...

  Ralph Posted July 31, 2008 3:17 PM
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  This bill and this story need more info. For example, what is the Constitutional basis for permitting an arm of Congress to bring a "civil action"? Any citizen, including Congressmen/women can hire a lawyer, file a civil compliant and ask for court date -- yes? -- so what's new here -- and why stop at "civil action", why not the whole hog, i.e., the additional power to bring a "criminal action" -- after all the Justice Dept is not a current Congressional favorite, though I sense a small Constitutional glitch here and some legal summersaults needed to fully implement (look to your blogs law review brainiacs and tenure seeking law profs). So, is Congress just posturing (I believe so) or, in the waning days of Bush II, is Congress boldly going where the Founding Fathers would be going if they were seated in a 2008 Preus and had brain cells watered by a Harvard JD? Finally, on the politico/aesthetic side, this bill is unfortunately a typically misguided Congressional response to a particular source of Executive frustration, e.g. problems extracting politically damaging data from an opposition-run Administration. "What's the solution?" says the summertime Committee Chair to the substitute Chief Counsel? "Yo, Chairperson, let's stuff yet another law into the Federal Code, that'll break-out those embarrassing factoids and reap glory for the Hill-top crusaders." Indeed. I await the prize winning case studies on this brilliant legislative strategy to solve a minor political impasse from all the usual Ivy venues, and, should this silliness become an actual law, I applaud all the resume building internships - foundation funded of course -- in the GAO's Office of Counsel as junior lawyers learn how judges will help make the Republic yet freer. Ah, another July in the nation's capital: just busy grinding summer sausage in olde D.C.

  Concerned Retiree Posted July 31, 2008 2:48 PM
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  That's what we need a bunch of nose pickers with more authority. This will be vetoed as soon as it reaches Bush. Congress just doesn't understand the separation of powers maybe its time for a civics lesson for them, obviously they failed to pay attention in grade school

  Dan ketter Posted July 31, 2008 12:28 PM
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  The separation of duties is being undermined. Congress has giving GAO an arm of congress judicial powers.

  Steven Kato Posted July 30, 2008 4:28 PM
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  The measure, passed by voice vote, gives GAO the right to pursue civil action against federal agencies to obtain information. What? We already have Congressional oversight, OIG's, internal affairs, auditors and the list goes on for groups that can harass or investigate federal employees. This is a bad bill, and gives bureaucrats more power and diminishes citizens rights.

  frank Posted July 30, 2008 12:15 PM
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  I'm actually surprised that the GAO does not already have these powers. If this current administration has been able to effectively ignore GAO and place themselves above the law, then the taxpayer has been robbed of accountibility. The increase in GAO powers is appropriate.

  Don Posted July 30, 2008 11:41 AM