Independent Watchdog Reports Record Progress in Government Accountability Under Democrats

Washington, D.C. (April 27, 2023)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, led Committee Democrats in examining the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) 2023 High Risk List to ensure the federal government works effectively for the American people. The hearing featured testimony from Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of GAO.

"This is the most progress made by Congress and the government since GAO started issuing ratings eight years ago. Progress can be seen in directly improved services to the public and in agencies' enhanced ability to achieve their missions. This progress is tangible evidence of the Biden-Harris Administration's—and Congressional Democratic Majority's—commitment to work for the American people and deliver meaningful results over the last Congress," said Ranking Member Raskin in his opening statement.

Committee Members underscored the ways in which Democrats' historic funding investments and landmark legislation enacted over the last two years have yielded the most significant improvements to ‘high-risk' areas since GAO began issuing the ratings.

• Mr. Dodaro confirmed that, of the 34 high-risk areas rated in the agency's biannual report, 16 improved between 2021 and 2023, yielding financial benefits of $100 billion for taxpayers—the highest rate of improvement in eight years. Mr. Dodaro also noted that he has been "very pleased" with the Biden-Harris Administration's and Congress' work to solve high-risk problems in the federal government.

• Since 2011, Republican-imposed budget cuts have left agencies underfunded and understaffed, making it difficult to fulfill their missions. Congressional Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration, however, have enacted historic legislation and provided robust funding to help ensure that our government is working for the American people.

• Rep. Robert Garcia observed that, "In the last two years since President Biden took office, we've seen an incredible amount of progress. We've demonstrated that our government can work better, efficiently." He added, "The Administration has clearly provided stable leadership, in much contrast to the Trump Administration and their years of chaos across our government."

• Rep. Shontel Brown drew a strong contrast between the two parties' policy priorities, calling out the Trump Administration's $2 million tax giveaway to the wealthy and giant corporations for increasing the deficit, and saying: "As always, Democrats came in and started righting the ship. For example, take the investment in our tax enforcement made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. That provision alone means billions of dollars back in the pockets of American people by having the wealthy begin to pay their fair share."

Committee Democrats highlighted how the improvements made in ‘high-risk' areas directly affect Americans.

• In response to a question posed by Rep. Summer Lee on how these improvements would benefit taxpayers, Mr. Dodaro noted that progress on the GAO high-risk list has yielded roughly $675 billion in financial benefits to taxpayers since 2006.

• Referencing a 2019 GAO report, Rep. Melanie Stansbury explained that, "For every single dollar that we spend on climate change as the federal government, it would save the federal government $11." Those investments, she continued, "are literally saving taxpayer dollars by ensuring that we are mitigating financial and fiscal risk for the federal government down the road."

• Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton stated that, over the last two years: "Democrats [have] led the way with historic legislation to rebuild and modernize our nation's crumbling infrastructure. Congress passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to rebuild roads and bridges in communities around the country, improve climate resilience, clean up pollution, and a lot more." Mr. Dodaro confirmed that this achievement advanced progress to address two high-risk areas.

As they touted the improvements made over the last two years, Committee Democrats also sounded the alarm on the latest GOP efforts to default on the nation's debt and gut essential government funding.

• When Ranking Member Raskin asked Mr. Dodaro how Republicans' proposed budget cuts would hinder GAO's mission and impede its ability to support Congressional oversight, Mr. Dodaro explained that the cuts "would have a devastating effect on our ability to support the Congress." Mr. Dodaro warned that such cuts would likely force GAO to lay off 570 employees or stop replacing employees who leave and furlough remaining employees—effectively shutting down GAO for more than a month.

• In response to a question from Rep. Jared Moskowitz about the impact of a default on our nation's debt, Mr. Dodaro stated, "A default would have enormous repercussions here and would affect not only our economy but have ripple effects throughout the world." Mr. Dodaro also agreed with Rep. Jared Moskowitz's statement that, "Nothing, in my opinion, could be more fuel for the rise of China and the fall of the United States in the eyes of the world than defaulting on our debt."

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that the Republicans' Default on America Act would reverse a Democratic provision to ensure the IRS can hold wealthy tax cheats accountable. GAO confirmed that "appropriations for IRS have declined considerably since 2010—roughly 20 percent when adjusted for inflation, and roughly the same amount when looking at enforcement in particular." A GAO report found that, since 2010, audit rates have declined most dramatically for higher income individuals because such audits require more resources. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez noted that there had been an 87% decline in audits for taxpayers making between $500,000 to $5,000,000. She stated, "Instead of looking at [cuts to our] climate, instead of looking at cuts to health care, we should examine why […] the Republican party is so invested in protecting the wealthiest people in this society and would rather attack health care and services for our veterans than repealing tax cuts for yacht owners and private jets."

• Speaking about the importance of funding the federal government's $625 billion in environmental cleanup obligations, including radioactive waste that recently caused an elementary school in her district to shut down, Rep. Cori Bush said: "Congress and the federal government must meet their hazardous waste cleanup obligations to our communities, yet Republicans and their Default on America Act would deprive the government of resources to tackle these hazards and put the health and education of yet another generation of children at risk."

• When asked by Rep. Katie Porter if the House Republicans' proposal to slash funding for federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration would hamper progress to ensure food safety, Mr. Dodaro confirmed, "It definitely is going to be a complicating factor." He continued, "It is an issue that has to be carefully considered because it could have serious consequences."

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