In a letter to the US House of Representatives, the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) wrote to express strong support for the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) in response to recent criticisms directed at the agency.
The IIA said that over a century, GAO has been "a pillar of good governance" that has the task to offer Congress with timely, objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, nonideological, and
balanced information.
The international organization said that through comprehensive audits and evaluations, the professionals at GAO
promote a more efficient federal government by spotting waste, improving performance, and
protecting taxpayer dollars.
IIA professional organization that represents over 265,000 internal auditors.
According to the IIA prevent Congress from obtaining objective and timely information regarding pertinent government
programs. Additionally, it will place taxpayer resources at risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.
As leaders of the US House subcommittee with legislative jurisdiction over GAO, the IIA asks they reject political expediency and stand in strong support of GAO. Specifically, IIA urged them to
utilize their committee leadership positions to go against the initiatives to significantly cut funding for GAO
in full-year 2026.
The letter stated that the IIA has been quite worried by recent attempts to politicize the agency with accusations. It said that while it is appropriate for public officials to question or disagree
with GAO, such comments "misleadingly suggest that the agency has abdicated its core mission to
pursue a political agenda." It is unfortunate, IIA said, that "specious allegations" against public sector auditors are
spreading throughout North America. Officials, it said, many time dismiss audit findings as “political” instead of engage constructively or implement hard suggestions.
"This changing environment risks undermining the ability of public sector auditors, such as GAO, to safeguard public resources. For example, on June 26, 2025, the US House Committee on Appropriations approved its version of the FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act that, if enacted, would cut GAO’s budget by approximately 50%.4 Such a substantial reduction in appropriations will prevent Congress from obtaining objective and timely information regarding pertinent government programs," the AII letter stated.
Furthermore, it will place taxpayer resources at risk of waste, fraud, and abuse. As leaders of the US House subcommittee with legislative jurisdiction over GAO, The IIA urges you to reject political expediency and stand in strong support of GAO. IIA stated that, "Specifically, we encourage you to utilize your committee leadership positions to oppose efforts to drastically cut funding for GAO in FY 2026."