Comptroller General

accountability to the American people? Last month, Comptroller General Gene Dodaro joined me on The Business of Government Hour to explore these questions and so much more. Here are some insights from this discussion:

Today, in an editorial, the New York Times called for a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed leader of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Noting that the interim Comptroller General, Gene Dodaro "has served ably," the Times editorial concludes that "without a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed leader, the agency lacks the power and validation to pursue its mission to the fullest. Mr. Obama can choose form the names he has been given, or request more.

On Tuesday, Congressional Democrats sent President Obama a list of four candidates to nominated as the next Comptroller General. The four are Rep. Todd Platts, Linda Bilmes at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Acting Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, and former Assistant Comptroller Ira Goldstein. Today Congressional Republicans sent their own letter to the President recommending Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

It is looking more and more as if we may soon see a nominee for the position of Comptroller General.   CQ staffer David Clarke is reporting that the Congress will soon forward President Obama four candidates to be CG and lead the Government Accountability Office.

The four names are:

Linda J. Bilmes – currently a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government,