WASHINGTON—Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., Tuesday applauded the Committee’s approval of Gene Dodaro to be Comptroller General of the U.S., Government Accountability Office (GAO). Dodaro’s nomination was approved by a unanimous voice vote.
“Mr. Dodaro is an exemplary public servant, working for almost 40 years to improve the performance and capacity of our government,” Lieberman said. “And he is a perfect fit for this position, having served as acting Comptroller General for the past two years. We in Congress are grateful for his non-partisan leadership at an agency whose fact-based audits and investigations deeply inform our work. I am pleased that the Committee approved his nomination and urge the full Senate to do the same without delay.”
Collins said: “Our nation desperately needs aggressive and independent oversight of the federal government. We live in an era of historic deficits, crippling unemployment, and smaller budgets. As the government tightens its belt, the GAO, which has been labeled ‘the American taxpayers’ best friend,’ must remain an unabashed advocate for the public and a protective steward of federal resources. As the recent elections made clear, the public is no longer willing to accept the status quo. Americans want realistic solutions to problems and dependable leadership. I support Mr. Dodaro’s nomination to be next Comptroller General of GAO and I urge him to look for specific ways to make our government more effective and accountable.”
Lieberman and Collins were members of a 10-member bipartisan, bicameral commission charged with recommending a Comptroller General to the White House; each endorsed Dodaro for the job. His nomination must now be approved by the full Senate.
The Committee also approved several postal naming bills.