Tester, Romney Urge Trump Administration to Ensure Robust Oversight of Pandemic Recovery

Senators: “Take every needed step to assure resources are delivered to those who need them by providing strong oversight and accountability”

Following the passage of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) are teaming up to ensure the Trump Administration responsibly and efficiently uses taxpayer dollars to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senators today called on the Administration to ensure the independence of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery-a position they worked to create within the CARES Act-and to provide Congress with details about its plans for rigorous oversight.

“With trillions of taxpayer dollars being spent, it is critically important for the Administration to ensure full transparency and willingness for independent oversight. As you work to implement COVID-19 legislation, we ask that you provide Congress a detailed plan on how the government plans to execute these funds and what accountability measures are being put in place to ensure our taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively,” wrote the Senators in a letter to President Trump.

The Senators are also urging the Administration to immediately fill cabinet-level Inspector General vacancies that would be critical to ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. Inspectors General play watchdog roles in key agencies-including the Department of Health and Human Services, Treasury Department, and the Department of Education-that will be implementing COVID-19 relief efforts.

“Inspectors general play a vital watchdog role, and their permanence would give Congress, and the wider public, more trust that these dollars are being spent in the most effective way possible to best blunt the economic impact from COVID-19. This is a critical time in our nation’s history and each agency plays a vital role in our recovery.”

Read Tester and Romney’s letter to President Trump HERE.