GOP senators press Trump to cooperate with watchdogs following shake-up

Two Republican senators are pressing President Trump to change how he works with federal watchdogs who conduct oversight into his administration. 

Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in a letter to Trump laid out “suggestions” for how Congress and the White House can work together to ensure inspectors general (IGs) are able to properly and effectively investigate waste, fraud and abuse.

Their letter comes after Trump fired, removed and berated multiple IGs across different federal agencies this month. Trump’s actions unnerved some members of Congress in both parties, though GOP criticism of his actions has largely been muted.

“Recent statements and actions in the administration have raised concerns on Capitol Hill and among the IG community about the administration’s support for IGS and statutory authorities Congress has granted them,” the two senators wrote in the Tuesday letter. “We want to work with your administration to ensure that IGs continue to play their important and appropriate role.”

Lankford and Portman renewed earlier calls for inspectors general to be confirmed, saying the administration should not rely upon acting officials.

“Effective oversight requires strong leadership. The ability for an IG office to function at full capacity is diminished without a confirmed leader,” they wrote. 

Trump removed and replaced the acting Pentagon inspector general, Glenn Fine, after he was picked by peers to chair a committee overseeing the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package. Fine was replaced by Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General Sean O’Donnell, and the administration did not offer a reason for the change.

Trump also issued a signing statement on the relief package indicating he would not bow to Democratic efforts to conduct oversight on the program. The statement said his administration had the power to oversee reports to Congress from the special inspector general for pandemic recovery.

The two GOP senators said Trump should cooperate with IGs following the relief package’s passage. 

They wrote that the broad responsibility of IGs to conduct audits and investigations “could not be more important following the appropriation of the largest economic relief package in American history.”

“To help IGs do their job effectively, we believe your administration should provide them with full access to appropriately requested documents and witnesses to properly conduct audits and investigations,” they wrote.

The Republican senators encouraged Trump to set a tone for his administration to cooperate with IGs.

“We encourage you to send a strong message to the executive branch to work with IGs, not against them,” they wrote, pointing to the stimulus package.

They also stressed that IGs must remain independent in order to ensure they avoid any conflicts of interest during an investigation or audit. 

“IGs must be absolutely nonpartisan in their findings,” they wrote. “We would hope the White House would view IGs as your partners in objectively identifying and rooting out waste within the federal government.”

Trump fired intelligence community watchdog Michael Atkinson earlier this month in what was widely seen as a move to punish the inspector general for acting on a whistleblower complaint last year that led to Trump’s impeachment.

Members of both parties voiced disapproval at Atkinson’s removal. 

The senators urged the president to view IG recommendations as providing constructive guidance to “address problems and inefficiencies so that the federal government better serves the American taxpayer.”

And in calling for more confirmations and cooperation with IGs, Lankford and Portman noted in their letter that they are “encouraged” by the fact that Trump’s new chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was a strong supporter of IGs during his tenure in the House.