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Committee Statements

Foxx Statement: Hearing on "Improving Department of Education Policies and Programs Through Independent Oversight"

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 10, 2014
Independent oversight is a central tool to ensure the federal government spends taxpayer dollars wisely and administers programs and policies in the most efficient and effective way. When you consider the challenges facing our schools and workplaces, as well as the tsunami of red ink confronting taxpayers, the need for responsible administration of the federal government has never been more important.

The Government Accountability Office and each agency’s Office of Inspector General play vital roles in the oversight effort. The hard-working staff of these nonpartisan entities are the taxpayers first line of defense against  waste, fraud and abuse of tax dollars. They also help identify areas where programs and policies can be improved to ensure the American people receive the best services possible. 

Like all federal agencies, the Department of Education has a responsibility to take the concerns and recommendations offered by these independent investigators seriously. There is certainly no shortage of improvements needed at the department. In recent years, the GAO has issued numerous reports highlighting areas where programs and policies should be strengthened, including reports entitled:                                                                       
  • “Use of New Data Could Help Improve Oversight of Distance Education”;
                                                                                                
  • “Foreign Medical Schools: Education Should Improve Monitoring of Schools That Participate in the Federal Student Loan Program”;                                                          
  • “Better Oversight Could Improve Defaulted Loan Rehabilitation”; and
         
  • “Improved Tax Information Could Help Families Pay for College.”
 
These reports are in addition to those routinely released by the Inspector General’s office. The examples I just cited are especially noteworthy, because they include recommendations not yet implemented by the department. Agencies may not agree with every recommendation in every report. In fact, this committee may question various recommendations from time to time. 

However, each independent report represents an opportunity for a federal agency to consider changes and improve. Whether it’s the solutions outlined by the GAO and IG offices, or a set of changes proposed internally by an agency, action must be taken. The American people deserve no less.

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