[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 282 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 282
Recognizing July 1, 2021, as the 100th anniversary of the Government
Accountability Office and commending the service of the Government
Accountability Office to Congress and the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 22, 2021
Ms. Hassan (for herself, Mr. Paul, Mr. Carper, Mr. Grassley, Mr.
Padilla, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Peters, Mr. Lankford, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Braun,
Ms. Warren, Mr. Portman, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr.
Cardin, and Mr. Romney) submitted the following resolution; which was
considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing July 1, 2021, as the 100th anniversary of the Government
Accountability Office and commending the service of the Government
Accountability Office to Congress and the United States.
Whereas the General Accounting Office, predecessor to the Government
Accountability Office (referred to in this preamble as the ``GAO''),
opened its doors on July 1, 1921, following the enactment of the Budget
and Accounting Act, 1921 (Public Law 67-13; 42 Stat. 20);
Whereas the need, identified by Congress following World War I, for more
information and better control of expenditures made by the Federal
Government was filled by the creation of the independent GAO;
Whereas Congress provided the GAO with a broad mandate--
(1) to investigate how Federal dollars are spent; and
(2) to review all Federal expenditures;
Whereas, as the size and expenditures of the Federal Government grew during the
Great Depression and World War II, the GAO became overwhelmed with
fiscal audits, which pushed Congress to amend the authority of the GAO
to enable it to assist Federal agencies with improving their accounting
and spending controls;
Whereas Congress amended the authority of the GAO to expand its work beyond
financial audits to performance audits to determine how Federal agencies
and programs performed and met their objectives in the wake of the Great
Society programs of the late 1960s;
Whereas the GAO shifted its priorities in the late 1900s and early 2000s--
(1) to highlight high risk areas for Federal Government waste and
operation failures; and
(2) to work to improve Federal financial management and budgeting;
Whereas, as of the date of adoption of this resolution, the GAO is known around
the world as a leader and source of objective, nonpartisan information
on government operations through its work examining cost, effectiveness,
and other factors related to the success of Federal programs;
Whereas, in addition to its field offices across the United States, the GAO
operates field offices around the world to make it easier to access and
monitor Federal Government operations that extend across the globe;
Whereas the GAO employs approximately 3,200 people and has been recognized as
being one of the top workplaces in the Federal Government for several
years by its multi-disciplinary workforce, which includes analysts,
auditors, lawyers, economists, scientists, actuaries, law enforcement
and security personnel, healthcare experts, and education, public
policy, computer science, and cybersecurity personnel, among others;
Whereas the GAO averaged a $165 return on every $1 invested in the GAO between
fiscal years 2016 and 2020 as a result of Federal agencies and Congress
acting on recommendations made by the GAO;
Whereas the financial benefit to the Federal Government resulting from the work
of the GAO totaled--
(1) in fiscal year 2020, $77,600,000,000; and
(2) in the past 20 years combined, over $1,200,000,000,000; and
Whereas, in addition to serving as the preeminent independent government
watchdog agency in the world, the GAO provides additional services,
which include--
(1) writing legal opinions at the request of Congress or in response to
a bid protest;
(2) authoring resources and standards for auditors around the world;
(3) operating a hotline for the public to report waste, fraud, abuse,
or mismanagement of government funds; and
(4) providing testimony before Congress on a multitude of topics: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the 100th anniversary of the Government
Accountability Office (referred to in this resolution as the
``GAO'') on July 1, 2021;
(2) commends the GAO for 100 years of service to Congress
and the United States as the preeminent independent government
watchdog agency in the world;
(3) offers its continued support to allow the GAO--
(A) to fulfill its mandates as required by law;
(B) to respond to requests made by Members of
Congress; and
(C) to aid the Federal Government in improving its
stewardship of taxpayer dollars;
(4) recognizes Eugene Dodaro, the Comptroller General and
head of the GAO as of the date of adoption of this resolution,
and the dedicated and professional staff of the GAO who work
diligently to produce fact-based reports, thoughtful
recommendations, and sound legal decisions; and
(5) will continue to partner with the GAO in the pursuit of
its mission--
(A) to support Congress in meeting its
constitutional responsibilities; and
(B) to help improve the performance and
accountability of the Federal Government for the
benefit of the people of the United States.
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