Government Reform chief moves to create IG panel for rebuilding effort
Move counteracts bill introduced in Senate that would appoint Iraq reconstruction IG to oversee process.
House Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa., introduced legislation Thursday that would create a council of inspectors general, comprised of IGs in agencies responsible for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, to oversee rebuilding.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced a bill Thursday that would give that responsibility to the IG overseeing Iraq reconstruction.
Davis criticized Collins' approach.
"This proposal -- having one IG oversee the entire effort -- raises concerns," Davis said in a statement. "In the past, when Congress has created special inspectors general, the entity in question had no oversight in place. This was the case in Iraq with the Coalition Provisional Authority. Each of the agencies involved in the hurricane response has a statutory IG, in most cases appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. We placed our trust in them. Why would we subvert their authority in a crisis situation? Let them do their jobs."