Washington, D.C. (Apr. 27, 2020)— Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, issued a statement commending Michael Horowitz, the Chairman of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, for selecting Robert A. Westbrooks to serve as the Executive Director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) and for launching the new website, pandemic.oversight.gov.

The PRAC was established in a provision offered by Chairwoman Maloney and Senator Gary Peters in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The Members issued the following statement:

“We commend Inspector General Horowitz for naming Robert Westbrooks as the Executive Director of the new accountability committee. As a former Inspector General, accountant, and auditor, Mr. Westbrooks will help the committee conduct strong oversight that is urgently needed. Americans across the political spectrum want the trillions of dollars being spent in response to the coronavirus crisis to be used effectively and efficiently—without waste, fraud, abuse, or profiteering.

“The launch of the new website is also an important step towards providing transparency to the American people about how their taxpayer dollars are being spent. The new website will serve as a portal to access information on federal spending and ongoing audits and investigations by Inspectors General.”

The important oversight work of the PRAC will continue despite President Trump’s actions earlier this month resulting in the dismissal of Acting Pentagon Inspector General Glenn Fine as its Chairman.

In response to that action, Chairwoman Maloney, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, introduced legislation on April 17, 2020, that would provide Mr. Horowitz with the authority to select a chair for the PRAC from any of the Inspectors General on the PRAC, any Deputy Inspectors General, or any senior staff from the office of an Inspector General.

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