S.Amdt. 4491

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Schiff, aims to establish an Office of Inspector General in the Executive Office of the President.

The amendment adds the following to the bill:

• Appointment and Authority: It requires the President to appoint an Inspector General for the Executive Office of the President within 120 days of the Act's enactment. The President maintains authority and control over audits, investigations, or subpoenas involving undercover operations, intelligence or counterintelligence matters, and the identity of confidential sources or protected witnesses.

• Presidential Restrictions: The President can prohibit the Inspector General from starting or completing specific audits, investigations, or subpoenas to prevent the disclosure of the sensitive information mentioned above. If this happens, the President must notify the Inspector General in writing within 30 days, and that notice must be sent to specific Congressional committees.

• Reporting and Oversight:

  • The Inspector General must provide semiannual reports to the President and Congress. These reports must include a certification of whether they had full access to relevant information and descriptions of any instances where the President blocked access to information.
  • The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency will perform an annual audit of this office to ensure effective oversight.

• Classification Evaluations: The Inspector General must conduct two evaluations to check if classification policies are being followed and to find practices that lead to the persistent misclassification of material within the Executive Office of the President. Reports on these evaluations must be submitted to the President, the Director of the Information Security Oversight Office, and specified Congressional committees.