August 07, 2020
The Next Coronavirus Relief Bill Must Address Massive Oversight Issues
As Congress considers another coronavirus relief bill, it must not only build an effective and competent oversight mechanism, but also protect that oversight from interference by the executive branch. While the CARES Act, passed in March, created several oversight mechanisms—including the Congressional Oversight Commission, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee—oversight was slow to start, ineffective, and inhibited by the president. This time must be different.
Congress must commit to working in a bipartisan manner to quickly appoint oversight officials.
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) was created to oversee the government’s implementation of the CARES Act in its entirety, but it has faced intense executive interference and is still without leadership. Within days of being nominated to chair the committee, President Donald Trump fired Glenn Fine; furthermore, Trump left the position of Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) vacant for over two months.
Read the full article from The National Interest.
More from CNAS
-
Western Hemisphere Migration is a Long-Term Challenge
Commentary
Addressing western hemisphere migration should be a national and international priority....
By Carrie Cordero & Cris Ramón
-
The Lawfare Podcast: Klein and Cordero on the Latest FISA Numbers
Podcast
To discuss the latest in FISA transparency news, the data and what it all means, Benjamin Wittes sat down on Lawfare Live with Carrie Cordero of the Center for a New American ...
By Carrie Cordero
-
Opportunity to Reform the Department of Homeland Security’s Biodefense Operations and Governance
Commentary
If Russia were to engage in biological warfare against Ukraine, that act could embolden other countries to develop and use such weapons in other conflicts....
By Carrie Cordero & Asha M. George
-
Sharper: 2020
Commentary
2020 featured an ever-evolving series of national security challenges....
By Sam Dorshimer, Nathalie Grogan, Emily Jin, Chris Estep & Cole Stevens
