Who Does Accountability?

For John, BLUF:  Another sign of Congress not doing its job.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

The Internet being what it is, I am in an argument with one of my Brothers' friends.  My point being that calling the GAO the Government Accountability Office sluffs off the very important point that in our form of Government, it is the US Congress which holds the Executive Branch accountable and it does it through its power to legislate.  Here is the new GAO Logo:

New GAO Logo

Let it be noted that the GAO is an arm of the US Congress.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress.  Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.  The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes.  Gene L. Dodaro became the eighth Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on December 22, 2010, when he was confirmed by the United States Senate.  He was nominated by President Obama in September of 2010 and had been serving as Acting Comptroller General since March of 2008.

Here is where I get my idea that "Accountability" is the job of the US Congress:

Congressional oversight refers to oversight by the United States Congress on the Executive Branch, including the numerous U.S. federal agencies.  Congressional oversight refers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation.  Congress exercises this power largely through its congressional committee system.  However, oversight, which dates to the earliest days of the Republic, also occurs in a wide variety of congressional activities and contexts.  These include authorization, appropriations, investigative, and legislative hearings by standing committees; specialized investigations by select committees; and reviews and studies by congressional support agencies and staff.

Congress’s oversight authority derives from its “implied” powers in the Constitution, public laws, and House and Senate rules.  It is an integral part of the American system of checks and balances.

To be fair to my interlocator, he does have a point.  If the US Congress can claim for itself the power to oversee the Executive Branch, is there any limit to what it can oversee?

Unless I missed it, nothing in Article I of the Constitution says that Congress gets to oversee the Executive Branch.  It says that Congress gets to make laws and appropriate money.  Nothing talks about a committee system that can investigate, drag citizens before them, interrogate them, and lambast them in front of TV cameras.  The Constitution doesn't say anything about "implied" powers.  Who made the implication? Congress? Oh, well, I see.  Well, what other Government powers can be exercised by somebody by implication?

The guys and gals sitting at those committee tables trying to humiliate people are guilty of felony jackassery, plain and simple.

Well, I would say it may well be jackassery from both sides of the tables.

Regards  —  Cliff