POGO Letter to Speaker-Elect Boehner Urging Creation of an Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations

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Dear Mr. Speaker-Elect,

As an independent nonprofit that works for a more accountable, open, effective and ethical federal government, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) wholeheartedly supports the creation of an Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations. A number of House Authorizing Committees have already benefited from the creation of oversight and investigations subcommittees, including the Armed Services Committee, the Homeland Security Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. There is no question the Appropriations Committee would also benefit from the creation of such a subcommittee, as it would help to identify worthy targets of opportunities for spending cuts by the other subcommittees. Even more promising is the fact that Rep. Jeff Flake is under consideration to Chair this Subcommittee. His proven track record as a principled fiscal conservative makes him ideal for this role.

Strengthening congressional capacity to conduct meaningful bi-partisan oversight will result in improving the operations of the federal government. We look forward to the creation of such a valuable resource and working with the Chair and Ranking Member of an Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Investigations to identify efficiencies and savings. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to further discuss this issue.