Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the Bringing Executive Accountability, Clarity, and Oversight Now (BEACON) Act, legislation to establish an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the Executive Office of the President (EOP).
The bill would require the same presidential appointment process as other inspectors general, with additional protections to ensure independence from the President. It would also direct the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) to annually audit the EOP OIG to ensure political pressure does not weaken the inspector general’s ability to effectively conduct oversight of the President and the Executive Office of the President.
“Inspectors general conduct important independent oversight throughout different agencies in the executive branch. But the same is not true when it comes to the President and the White House — where there is no inspector general. That should change, regardless of who is in office. Establishing an Office of the Inspector General inside the Executive Office of the President will help ensure that no President or administration is above the law. Inspectors general hold federal agencies accountable by rooting out fraud and abuse, and this legislation would implement the same oversight of our nation’s highest office,” said Senator Schiff.
The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i).
U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.-03), and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.-07) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“With the most corrupt President in the history of our country, it’s important we have the necessary guardrails in place to keep him and any President in check,”said Rep. Vindman. “As a former JAG and National Security Council ethics lawyer, I’m proud to introduce the BEACON Act that will install the right guardrails to make sure that even the most powerful office in our democracy is accountable to the people it serves. An independent Inspector General in the Executive Office of the President is long overdue. Our founders never intended for the President to operate in the shadows.”
“In America, no one is above the law, and that should include President Trump. His reckless and illegal impoundment spree, during which he has stolen at least $425 billion in government funding from the American people, must end. Congressional Republicans’ desperate efforts to defund organizations like the Government Accountability Office, which investigates waste, fraud, and abuse, and President Trump’s efforts to fire independent Inspectors General across the government, show that this Administration is terrified of accountability and allergic to transparency. If they will not tell the American people the truth, then we must discover the truth. The BEACON Act would ensure that the President is accountable to the people, by installing an independent Inspector General in the Executive Office of the President. This is a vital check on executive power that is long overdue,” said Rep DeLauro.
“The American people deserve transparency and accountability from every corner of our government, especially the White House. The BEACON Act is a necessary step to ensure that no Administration is above the law or immune from scrutiny,” said Rep. Scholten. “By creating a truly independent Inspector General for the Executive Office of the President, this bill strengthens the oversight necessary to protect taxpayer dollars, prevent abuse of power, and promote trust in our public institutions. I’m proud to join Senator Schiff and Representatives DeLauro and Vindman to push forward this essential legislation that puts the public interest ahead of partisan politics.”
Full text of the bill is available here.
Support for the BEACON Act:
The bill has been endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Democracy Defenders Action, and Public Citizen.
“For decades, inspectors general across the executive branch have saved American taxpayers billions of dollars by identifying and helping to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse throughout federal agencies,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “Yet the Executive Office of the President—the epicenter of federal policymaking and governance—lacks this key form of internal oversight, allowing corrupt actors at the highest levels of government to evade public accountability. It is time to establish an inspector general within the White House and begin the process of restoring the public’s confidence in their government. We thank Senator Schiff for introducing this common sense legislation and urge the Senate to pass it.”
“The Office of Inspector General is widely credited with providing independent oversight and accountability of federal agencies. The White House does not have a single, designated Inspector General the same way as federal agencies. That oversight role has been placed with the Attorney General and Congress. It has become painfully clear that neither the AG nor Congress is living up to their oversight responsibilities. Sen. Schiff’s BEACON Act would fill that void by assigning an truly independent IG to oversee the otherwise secretive dealings of the White House,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.
“Establishing an Inspector General for the President’s closest advisors promotes accountability at the highest levels of government,” said Virginia Canter, Anticorruption and Ethics Chief Counsel and Director at Democracy Defenders Action. “The BEACON Act would create an independent watchdog to strengthen oversight of the Executive Office of the President’s operations, spending, and integrity. It would enhance our democracy by shining a light on waste, fraud, and abuse among top government officials.”
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