Congressional Oversight Staff Resources

Oversight in 16 Steps, a one-page, high-level overview of the steps that are part of an oversight investigation. 

Checklist of Places to Turn to During an Investigation. Getting answers can be hard. This checklist offers different avenues you can take to get the information you need. 

Theory and Practice: Why Oversight is Important, with Best Practices and Tips, a brief primer on how to conduct congressional oversight. 

Questions and Answers on Conducting Oversight, an oversight basics FAQ developed by Ruth Fleischer, a 20-year veteran of Capitol Hill and now a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. 

Congressional Oversight: What It Means and How to Make It Work, a one-page backgrounder on the types of, and legal basis for, congressional oversight. Developed by Elise Bean, former staff director for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 

Understanding Your Rights in Response to a Congressional Subpoena, a private sector white paper on the authority, scope, and limitations of a congressional investigation of a private entity. 

CRS Congressional Oversight Manual. A fundamental objective of the Congressional Oversight Manual is to assist members of Congress, committees, and legislative staff in carrying out this vital legislative function. 

GAO Overview, a PowerPoint that gives an overview of the Government Accountability Office’s authority, organization, and work, and explains how the office works with Congress. 

Three GAO Handouts, consisting of an introduction to the GAO, guidelines on request processing and timing, and a breakdown of staff areas of expertise. 

Additional Links 

• Watchdog.gao.gov, the GAO’s Congress-only website 
• IGNet.gov, a list of contact info for all inspectors general 
• Oversight.org, a website consolidating inspector general reports 

Do’s and Don’ts of an Oversight Hearing, some helpful ways of thinking about investigations. 

Framing Questions for a Hearing, some tips on how to make the most of your questions. 

Suggested Confirmation Questions, a list of ethics and conflict-of-interest questions that could be asked of nominees. 

Office of Government Ethics Resources, a list of confirmation and presidential transition resources provided by the Office of Government Ethics. 

Finding Partners, a brainstorming guide for building coalitions. 

Getting Answers, a tip sheet including unorthodox opportunities to get your questions answered or to gain access to documents. 

Additional Links 

• When Congress Comes Calling: Ch. 8 — The Constitution 

Working with Insiders and Whistleblowers, a tip sheet with some general rules of thumb about how congressional investigations can work with whistleblowers. 

Whistleblower Protections Informational Handout, a primer on whistleblower protections and the patchwork of agencies that are involved.  

“Hands off the Whistleblower” letter, an example of a letter from a senator directing an agency head (in this case, the acting head) not to stifle whistleblowers or attempts by Congress to investigate wrongdoing. 

House Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds, an overview of the House Whistleblower Ombuds office and its services. 

Intake Case Management Workflow Infographic, a guide on how to manage whistleblowers when they contact a congressional office.  

Whistleblower Survival Tips, lessons and advice for whistleblowers to succeed. This is a resource that congressional offices can share with whistleblowers. 

 
Additional Links 

• Caught Between Conscience and Career, POGO, Government Accountability Project, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility 
• The Lloyd-La Follette Act (5 U.S.C. § 7211), which prohibits agencies from blocking employee access to Congress

10 Media Tips from Roberta Baskin, a tip sheet of things staffers should consider to maximize the media impact of an investigation. 

Handling Agency Objections, an extensive tipsheet created by the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy describing Congress’s rights in response to common agency objections. 

Federal Contracting Investigative Tips, a list of questions to get answered for each stage of a contract. 

Index of Useful Databases, a wide-ranging index of links to helpful databases, search engines, and other resources that may prove useful while conducting oversight.

Tip Sheet on Congressional Access to Restricted Information, a tip sheet focused specifically on overcoming obstacles to accessing classified and other restricted information, including a list of resources with additional information. 

Legal Framework for Congressional Rights to Classified, Sensitive, or Privileged Information, a description of the applicable laws and the best practices for seeking and handling sensitive information, including classified and controlled unclassified information; executive privileges; tax, health, and privacy act information; and trade secrets. 

Summary of Intelligence Community Whistleblowing, a short excerpt from the book Caught Between Conscience and Career by POGO, GAP, and PEER. 

Additional Links 

• The Pentagon Labyrinth, POGO’s Center for Defense Information 
• Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protections: In Brief,Congressional Research Service 
• Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives, Congressional Research Service 
• Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Background and Selected Options for Further Reform, Congressional Research Service 

Piercing the Corporate Veil: Investigating Public and Private Companies, a tipsheet focused on getting information and records during private-sector investigations. 

Improper Payments: Federal Improper Payments Are Significant, Costing Taxpayers Billions. The federal government makes payments in the wrong amount, to the wrong people, and for the wrong reason every year, a complex problem that adversely affects taxpayers.