Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Senator Carl Levin, Chairman
Senator Tom Coburn, MD, Ranking Minority Member
S. Res. 81, Sec. 12, 112th Congress, agreed to March 3, 2011:
(1) IN GENERAL- The committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee of the committee, is authorized to study or investigate–
(A) the efficiency and economy of operations of all branches of the Government including the possible existence of fraud, misfeasance, malfeasance, collusion, mismanagement, incompetence, corruption, or unethical practices, waste, extravagance, conflicts of interest, and the improper expenditure of Government funds in transactions, contracts, and activities of the Government or of Government officials and employees and any and all such improper practices between Government personnel and corporations, individuals, companies, or persons affiliated therewith, doing business with the Government; and the compliance or noncompliance of such corporations, companies, or individuals or other entities with the rules, regulations, and laws governing the various governmental agencies and its relationships with the public;
(B) the extent to which criminal or other improper practices or activities are, or have been, engaged in the field of labor-management relations or in groups or organizations of employees or employers, to the detriment of interests of the public, employers, or employees, and to determine whether any changes are required in the laws of the United States in order to protect such interests against the occurrence of such practices or activities;
(C) organized criminal activity which may operate in or otherwise utilize the facilities of interstate or international commerce in furtherance of any transactions and the manner and extent to which, and the identity of the persons, firms, or corporations, or other entities by whom such utilization is being made, and further, to study and investigate the manner in which and the extent to which persons engaged in organized criminal activity have infiltrated lawful business enterprise, and to study the adequacy of Federal laws to prevent the operations of organized crime in interstate or international commerce; and to determine whether any changes are required in the laws of the United States in order to protect the public against such practices or activities;
(D) all other aspects of crime and lawlessness within the United States which have an impact upon or affect the national health, welfare, and safety; including but not limited to investment fraud schemes, commodity and security fraud, computer fraud, and the use of offshore banking and corporate facilities to carry out criminal objectives;
(E) the efficiency and economy of operations of all branches and functions of the Government with particular reference to–
(i) the effectiveness of present national security methods, staffing, and processes as tested against the requirements imposed by the rapidly mounting complexity of national security problems;
(ii) the capacity of present national security staffing, methods, and processes to make full use of the Nation’s resources of knowledge and talents;
(iii) the adequacy of present intergovernmental relations between the United States and international organizations principally concerned with national security of which the United States is a member; and
(iv) legislative and other proposals to improve these methods, processes, and relationships;
(F) the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the Government involved in the control and management of energy shortages including, but not limited to, their performance with respect to–
(i) the collection and dissemination of accurate statistics on fuel demand and supply;
(ii) the implementation of effective energy conservation measures;
(iii) the pricing of energy in all forms;
(iv) coordination of energy programs with State and local government;
(v) control of exports of scarce fuels;
(vi) the management of tax, import, pricing, and other policies affecting energy supplies;
(vii) maintenance of the independent sector of the petroleum industry as a strong competitive force;
(viii) the allocation of fuels in short supply by public and private entities;
(ix) the management of energy supplies owned or controlled by the Government;
(x) relations with other oil producing and consuming countries;
(xi) the monitoring of compliance by governments, corporations, or individuals with the laws and regulations governing the allocation, conservation, or pricing of energy supplies; and
(xii) research into the discovery and development of alternative energy supplies; and
(G) the efficiency and economy of all branches and functions of Government with particular references to the operations and management of Federal regulatory policies and programs.
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