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Press Release

Watchdog Group Highlights Reforms for New Congress

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) just released its biannual report highlighting a “baker’s dozen” of important issues for reform that the new Congress should act on.
(Illustration: CJ Ostrosky/POGO)

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) just released its biannual report highlighting a “baker’s dozen” of important issues for reform that the new Congress should act on. The wide-ranging report covers topics from oil leasing to whistleblower protections, and carries 75 specific recommendations for Congress’s consideration.

The chief theme of the proposals is the call to increase accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in every aspect of the federal government.

At this moment, the federal government—and the decisions of individual federal employees—is under a microscope, domestically and internationally. This report offers Congress a path to implementing common-sense reforms based on our investigative work that would make the federal government more accountable, including:

  • Strengthening the Office of Government Ethics
  • Slowing the federal revolving door
  • Reining in secretive surveillance authorities
  • Enforcing existing transparency requirements for federal programs
  • Guaranteeing enforceable whistleblower protections for all federal employees, contractors, and Congressional staffers

“This new Congress, like all others, has the chance to prioritize ethics, accountability, and transparency. What’s even more important is that this Congress is facing a public mandate to do just that,” said Liz Hempowicz, director of public policy at POGO.

The 2019 Baker’s Dozen is the fourth report of its kind; each previous report has resulted in legislation and substantive policy changes reflecting POGO’s recommendations.