Congress Should Prepare a Strategic, Effective Oversight Agenda Now
Dear Member of Congress:
We, the undersigned organizations, write to urge congressional committees to prepare now for a strategic and effective oversight agenda in the next Congress. Public concern about corruption is at historic levels. According to Gallup, 90% of Americans say corruption in government is widespread, with substantial majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and independents sharing that view.
The question is not whether the public wants accountability, but whether Congress can conduct the meaningful oversight that exposes abuses of power, holds powerful corporate and political actors accountable, and points towards reforms that improve people’s lives. Our collective organizations are hearing a loud call from our millions of members for this type of bold accountability agenda.
Effective oversight should do more than generate headlines. Committees should identify consequential targets, investigate the relationship between government decisions and corporate influence, and focus on issues that affect working families’ daily lives, including higher costs, record levels of household debt, weakened consumer protections, corporate misconduct, attacks on democratic safeguards, and the use of public office for private gain. Oversight should also be designed to succeed even, and especially, when an administration refuses to cooperate.
Every committee should be clear-eyed that this administration is likely to stonewall investigative efforts, and there must be plans for immediate escalation when that occurs to compel disclosure and testimony. This also requires using the full range of congressional tools and information sources available, including testimony from corporate executives, former government officials, whistleblowers, state and local officials, independent experts, affected workers and consumers, public records, inspector general findings, litigation records, and documents available outside the executive branch.
Just as importantly, investigations should build toward action. Hearings and reports should establish the factual record necessary for legislation, stronger enforcement, ethics reforms, consumer protections, and other durable policy changes in the next governing moment that speak to the real harms and economic stressors Americans are experiencing. Oversight should help explain not only what went wrong, but who benefited, who paid the price, and what Congress can do to prevent those abuses from happening again. We encourage committees to begin this planning now, including identifying priority investigations, developing witness and document strategies, building investigative staff capacity, and determining how hearings and investigations can reinforce a broader legislative and accountability agenda.
Finally, we encourage congressional committees to establish formal, ongoing channels to partner with outside organizations. Regular communication can help committees develop hearing and investigation ideas, identify witnesses, surface documents and investigative leads, protect and support whistleblowers, connect committees with affected communities and subject-matter experts, and troubleshoot obstacles as investigations develop. The public is demanding accountability. Congress should be prepared to deliver it in a strategic, disciplined way that focuses on the real harms that corruption and corporate power impose on everyday Americans.
Signed,
Acacia Center for Justice
Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc.
American Bird Conservancy
American Civil Liberties Union
American Economic Liberties Project
American Federation of Teachers
American Sustainable Business Network
Americans for Financial Reform
Americans for Tax Fairness
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Beta Cell Action
Black South Rising
Breathe Project
Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Digital Democracy
Center for Environmental Health
Center for Law and Public Trust
Center for Progressive Reform
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Clean Elections Texas
Coalition on Human Needs
Common Cause
Court Accountability Action
Defend the Vote Action Fund
Democracy Defenders Action
Democratic Messaging Project
Endangered Species Coalition
Fix Democracy First
Government Information Watch
Greenpeace USA
Groundwork Action
Healthcare is a Human Right WA
Indivisible
Just Solutions
Lawyers for Good Government
MassCOSH
MOVI, Money Out Voters In
MPower Change Action Fund
National Immigration Law Center
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women’s Law Center
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Our Revolution
Patriotic Millionaires
People For the American Way
People Power United
Private Equity Stakeholder Project
Protect Borrowers
Protect Democracy
Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)
Public Citizen
Rachel Carson Council
Revolving Door Project
Rise Up WV
RootsAction
Save HIV Funding Campaign
Secure Elections Network
SEIU
Social Security Works
Stand Up America
The Workers Circle
Until Justice Data Partners
Voters Not Politicians
Washington CAN