Byron York at the DC Examiner quotes Senator Charles Grassley as saying, "It’s fitting that the acronym for this board is RAT,” he was prepared to tell the Senate, “because that’s what I smell here.” He is referring to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board created by the stimulus bill.
The stimulus bill gives the RAT Board "authority to ask 'that an inspector general conduct or refrain from conducting an audit or investigation.'” Inspector generals traditionally act as watchdogs, independent of the management of the various agencies and the White House.
Creation of the RAT Board threatens that independence by allowing another entity veto particular investigations or require others. While the bill provides a procedure to avoid the RAT Board's edict, it imposes such requirements that would likely deter many inspectors general.
One would think that such radical change in the oversight of federal agencies would occur only after thorough hearing and debate in Congress. In fact, Senator Grassley learned of its existence only after the stimulus bill was passed. He heard from an inspector general who would be affected by the new law.
According to Senator Grassley, the provision was "snuck in" without debate. York could find no one who would admit to the "paternity" of the provision. York writes that when he asked the office of one Democratic Senator, "one who is a big fan of inspectors general, I was told the RAT Board was 'something the Obama administration wanted included in this bill.'” When he asked the White House, staffers said that they would have to look into it.
What other rats are scurrying around in the stimulus bill that haven't been brought to light?
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