(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement on President Trump’s recent attacks on the Inspectors General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD).
Earlier this week, in a tweet, President Trump dismissed the HHS Inspector General report on coronavirus hospital shortages as “fake." On April 6, President Trump removed Glenn Fine, the acting Inspector General at the Pentagon who was leading the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, the committee which was charged with implementing the CARES Act, a $2 trillion law to provide critical support to communities across the country.
“As the coronavirus continues to spread, worried families across the country should be able to trust that independent watchdogs can monitor the federal government’s response. That’s why, in every federal agency, Inspectors General are responsible for overseeing the federal government and ensuring that laws are implemented as Congress intended. They are non-partisan watchdogs that should absolutely not be used as political tools. President Trump’s repeated attacks on those who hold him accountable are a huge red flag. It is all too clear that Congress cannot leave him unchecked. With so much at stake, Republicans should join our call for the serious oversight this President clearly needs."
