Bipartisan Bill Would Expedite Hiring of Pandemic Recovery Watchdog
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) have introduced legislation to boost oversight of trillions of dollars in taxpayer funded pandemic relief by helping the special watchdog quickly onboard oversight staff. The Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) Expedited Hiring Authority Act allows the SIGPR to bypass the current government hiring process to allow the office to quickly ramp up oversight operations.
According to a release by Senator Grassley’s office, the legislation “expedites the office’s hiring and contracting authority, and allows it to use volunteers and detailees from other government agencies. It also waives penalties for re-hiring former government employees who are receiving a government pension, incentivizing retired employees with the needed experience and training to return to service.”
“Trillions in taxpayer dollars are headed out the door to help our nation respond to and recover from this pandemic, so we have a duty to make sure it gets to those in need and is used as intended. This bill helps the special inspector general quickly build its team so it can hit the ground running. We can’t let bureaucratic delays drag out with some much hard-earned taxpayer dollars on the line,” Grassley said in the release.
“Congress’ job is not only to provide the necessary resources to respond to and recover from the COVID pandemic, but also to make sure federal funding is being spent properly and effectively. This is why I am pleased to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to streamline the formation and hiring for the newly created Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. We must continue to be good stewards of federal resources and this new office will help to do just that,” Booker added.
According to the release, the legislation has been endorsed by Project on Government Oversight, Taxpayers Against Fraud, Government Accountability Project and the National Whistleblower Center.