I am slightly hopeful that Congress will finally respond to the challenge because the political stakes are so high. Few pieces of legislation have been watched around the country with such a ferocious sense of direct impact—Americans know the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will have consequences for their everyday lives. Now it comes down to how that money is actually spent.

Budgets and spending are the clearest statement of policy priorities. If economic assistance goes to businesses that do not use those funds to pay their workers, more people will lose their homes and go hungry. If desperately needed resources are diverted away from those in urgent need, and are instead just given to those who are politically connected, constituents can and should blame their representatives in Washington for letting them down, regardless of party.

This is why the oversight provisions in the law are so important. The best way to ensure that the money goes to those who need it is to quickly and robustly enact the accountability mechanisms included in the law—signing statement be damned. This is not merely a procedural afterthought. If done well, the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee and the special inspector general for pandemic response will be able to deter fraud before it happens, as the successful Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board accomplished in the wake of the 2009 recession.

That means Congress will need to stand behind the new committee and inspector general if agencies follow Trump’s lead and attempt to stonewall them. If an inspector general is denied access to information about how CARES Act funds are being distributed, and who benefits from them, Congress must not simply shrug its shoulders.