Democrats · Donald Trump · White House · US Senate · Wired
Democrats Are Gearing Up to Investigate the Trump Administration. It Won’t Be Easy
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As polls indicate Democrats could take back the US House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate, lawmakers are gearing up to investigate the Trump administration.
Key facts
- We have experienced increased challenges in obtaining information from agencies over the past year and a half,” GAO spokesperson Sarah Kaczmarek says
- As polls indicate Democrats could take back the US House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate, lawmakers are gearing up to investigate the Trump administration
- The GAO serves as Congress’ primary investigative body; its work is most often initiated by requests from Congress but it is independent and nonpartisan
- Federal agencies don’t necessarily have to enact the agency’s suggestions but they are legally required to cooperate with GAO’s requests for information and auditing
Summary
In late September, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency titled “DOGE: Congress and the Public Lack Assurance That Systems and Data Were Protected at Multiple Agencies.” In it, the GAO revealed that multiple executive branch agencies had refused to fully cooperate with investigators about the extent and nature of DOGE’s access to sensitive systems and information. The report, the latest example of the Trump administration seeking to dodge congressional oversight, raises questions about what—if any—avenues the legislature has to enforce accountability, or even access basic information about what the government has been doing.
The GAO serves as Congress’ primary investigative body; its work is most often initiated by requests from Congress but it is independent and nonpartisan.