Waxman: Congress' Abdication of Oversight

[rumpel]

Congress' Abdication of Oversight

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 -- In a pair of new reports, Rep. Henry A. Waxman examines the failure of the Republican-controlled Congress to investigate wrongdoing by the Bush Administration and the very different approach toward oversight taken by the Republican-controlled Congress during the Clinton Administration.

An additional report released in 2001 documents numerous examples of allegations against the Clinton Administration that Republican investigators pursued and ultimately failed to substantiate.

Congressional Oversight of the Bush Administration
Congressional Oversight of the Clinton Administration
2001 Report on Unsubstantiated Allegations of Wrongdoing Against the Clinton Administration.

http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=990

(too extensive and important to provide excerpts)

Table of Contents on * administration oversight:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......................................................................................................................1
I. MANIPULATION OF IRAQ INTELLIGENCE.......................................................................................2
II. TREATMENT OF DETAINEES..........................................................................................................5
III. LEAK OF A COVERT CIA AGENT’S STATUS.................................................................................7
IV. AWARD OF HALLIBURTON CONTRACTS......................................................................................9
V. WHITE HOUSE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE KATRINA RESPONSE..................................................10
VI. SECRET NSA WIRETAPS...........................................................................................................11
VII. VICE PRESIDENT’S ENERGY TASK FORCE................................................................................12
VIII. WITHHOLDING OF MEDICARE COST ESTIMATES....................................................................13
IX. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AT MULTIPLE FEDERAL AGENCIES AND THE WHITE HOUSE..............14
X. POLITICIZATION OF THE FEDERAL SCIENCE-BASED AGENCIES..................................................15
XI. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT OF VOTING RIGHTS LAWS............................................16
XII. CONTRACT ABUSES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.....................................17
XIII. INFLUENCE OF LOBBYISTS AT EPA........................................................................................18
XIV. INFLUENCE OF TOBACCO INDUSTRY LOBBYISTS ON U.S. TOBACCO POLICIES.......................19
XV. FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT’S CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES......19

and
New Details from GAO Raise Further Concerns about Barrett Investigation Spending

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 -- Rep. Waxman asks Independent Counsel David M. Barrett for an explanation regarding why his office has been renting 11,500 square feet for only five full-time employees and other new details GAO recently provided on Mr. Barrett's expenditures. To date, his ten-and-a-half year investigation of former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros has cost the taxpayer over $21 million.

Letter to David M. Barrett
Fact Sheet on Barrett's Report
GAO Letter on Barrett Expenditures
http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=991

From Fact Sheet:
Runaway Costs Prompted Congressional Concern
Congressional Democrats involved with legislation concerning Mr. Barrett’s investigation have
always strongly supported expeditious public release of Mr. Barrett’s report. Their support for
legislation directing the closure of his office has been driven by concerns about whether Mr.
Barrett has been meeting his statutory responsibility to conduct a “prompt, responsible, and costeffective”
investigation.10 To date, Mr. Barrett has spent over a decade and over $21 million in
taxpayer dollars on his investigation. More than half of these expenditures have been incurred in
the six years since the main target of the investigation, Mr. Cisneros, pled guilty to a
misdemeanor in 1999. Even after the three-judge panel overseeing the investigation ordered in
March 2003 that the office close down, Mr. Barrett continued to expend taxpayer funds at a rate
of $2 million a year. Since March 2003, Mr. Barrett has stated that his expenditures have
“principally relate to preparing the final report for submission to courts and to closing the
office,” 11 yet in that time frame his office has spent over $125,000 on travel, over $600,000 for
contractual services, and over $1.7 million on personnel compensation and benefits.

added excerpt

[Angry Girl]

1. Thank you, Mr. Waxman. You are the Energizer Bunny and a true hero

You just keep doing your sworn duty, never seeming to flinch or tire in the face of a veritable tidal wave of injustices and unethical behavior. This takes rare courage and fortitude. Hats off, Mr. Waxman, and thank you for never giving up on the American people.