For more than six years the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has been without a permanent Inspector General which has “reduced the Department’s efficiency and deprived taxpayers from fully realizing the benefits of a strong inspector general,” according to key lawmakers in the House.  
 
Today, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, and Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Chairman Ken Calvert, sent a letter to President Obama urging him to nominate a permanent inspector general at DOI.  
 
“The Department’s last permanent inspector general left on February 23, 2009—more than six years ago.  Since then, the office has been managed by an acting inspector general whose tenure has been the subject of recent, significant congressional oversight and controversy… Because acting inspectors general are inherently less independent than their permanent counterparts, however, stakeholders do not have full confidence that their work is credible.  Additionally, some acting inspectors general are candidates for the permanent job, which creates an incentive to conduct less aggressive oversight of the administration.  In any event, taxpayers suffer the consequences.”  
 
Full text of the letter can be found here.