Chair Ryan Statement at the FY 2022 Budget Hearing for Government Accountability Office

Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the FY 2022 Budget Hearing for Government Accountability Office.

For our first panel I would like to welcome the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office, Mr. Gene Dodaro to present the fiscal year 2022 budget request.

Mr. Comptroller General, we welcome you back to our Subcommittee.  2021 is a significant year for the Government Accountability Office, as you are celebrating 100 years of service.  This subcommittee has great admiration for GAO’s work in ferreting out misconduct and finding ways to save billions of dollars with timely, public, fact-based, non-partisan recommendations to improve Federal agency operations and save taxpayers billions of dollars.  We especially appreciate your neutral independence in facing difficult budget questions. 

Most recently, GAO has been evaluating the $2.6 trillion in COIVD-19 funding and making recommendations about how to improve its effectiveness in dealing with public health issues and the economy.  I understand that GAO estimates that it will initiate 175-200 COVID-19 actions over the next five years and that the benefits to resulting from your work leads to program and operational government improvements.  Your work is invaluable to getting the taxpayer the most from their tax dollars.

This year GAO is requesting an increase of $83.2 million in appropriated funds and 220 full-time equivalents, or FTE’s, over what was provided last year.  While we understand that your workload is increasing, I am afraid that the subcommittee allocation may not be increasing at a reciprocal rate.  As you know budgeting is a zero-sum gain and it will be hard to accommodate your healthy request.  But we’ll do our best.

I look forward to your testimony today.  At this point I would like to yield to my colleague and friend, the Ranking Member, Jaime Herrera Beutler for any opening comments she would like to make.