GAO wants you to know: This watchdog stands guard
As expected for any new administration, we have seen many changes in policy and practice. Many of these changes reflect the administration’s stated goals of reducing the size of government, the evolving role of the Department of Government Efficiency, and the administration’s views of the president’s authority under the Impoundment Control Act.
Earlier this month, The Hill published an opinion piece asking where the U.S. Government Accountability Office is amid these rapid changes. As the general counsel of the GAO, I’m here to tell you we are actively engaged on all fronts and watching out for Congress and the American people.
GAO remains steadfast in our mission to support Congress in carrying out its constitutional duties. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress.
As a legislative branch agency, GAO is not subject to executive orders and related guidance affecting the work and workforce of executive branch agencies. GAO’s work is primarily done at the request of Congress.
GAO is uniquely situated to provide lawmakers and agency heads with objective, professional, fact-based recommendations to help the government save money and work more efficiently and effectively for the American people.
GAO’s work provides a blueprint for quickly identifying opportunities to improve program management and save federal funds — exactly the kind of information and recommendations the administration, DOGE, and Congress can use.
GAO routinely makes 1,200 or more recommendations each year to assist Congress and improve government performance. Since 2002, GAO’s work has resulted in over $1.45 trillion in financial benefits for Congress and the American people. We’ve estimated that if every remaining GAO recommendation were implemented, we’d see another $106 to $208 billion in financial benefits.
GAO’s work also goes well beyond cost-cutting measures. Its findings and recommendations make programs and services better for the American people. Policymakers use our recommendations as a resource to help change laws, improve public safety and other services, and promote better management throughout the government.
In February, GAO released one of our signature reports, our “High Risk List,” which identifies 38 areas of government operations with serious vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, or in need of transformation. This list can serve as a roadmap for oversight and identifies ways for the federal government to save billions of dollars.
Our list has led to significant financial benefits for the country and taxpayers. Efforts to address high-risk issues have totaled nearly $759 billion in savings — an average of $40 billion per year. Since the last update to this list two years ago, the government has made progress in 10 areas — resulting in approximately $84 billion in financial benefits.
During the High Risk List congressional hearing in February, the comptroller general and head of GAO addressed GAO’s ongoing work requested by Congress on the administration and DOGE’s actions with respect to information systems, personnel and other areas, including Impoundment Control Act inquiries.
GAO has commenced work at the request of Congress on actions taken by DOGE at numerous departments and agencies. This work involves reviewing access to, use and protection of federal information and data systems, as well as personnel issues (such as the requirements for special government employees), among other topics.
The comptroller general also testified in this hearing that GAO is conducting legal reviews on numerous Impoundment Control Act issues for both foreign and domestic funding. GAO is actively conducting legal reviews of the administration’s pause of numerous funds for both foreign and domestic programs to determine if these actions comply with the act.
GAO takes seriously its statutory responsibilities under the Impoundment Control Act to report on the impoundment of funds to Congress. Our longstanding appropriations law work and testimonies before Congress for over 50 years demonstrate our commitment to reaching those decisions in an independent manner.
In all these matters and more, GAO’s work remains grounded in our over 100-year-long tradition of nonpartisan, fact-based service to Congress. We will seek the information we need to make factual and legal determinations necessary to complete our work and to do it right.
We are committed to completing the work Congress needs to carry out its oversight of the executive branch and its constitutional responsibilities. The American people deserve nothing less from the nation’s congressional watchdog.
Edda Emmanuelli Perez is general counsel of the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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