Trump administration to defund federal inspectors general council
The White House has moved to strip federal funding from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), an independent executive‑branch entity that provides cross‑agency training, data platforms, hotlines and investigative support for federal inspectors general. The cut — described by officials as effective Wednesday — alarms oversight officials who say CIGIE helps sustain nearly 14,000 investigative staff and that its defunding could sever shared websites, analytics and training; GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley and Susan Collins have publicly demanded records and an explanation.
Politics
Government/Regulatory
🔍 Key Facts
- The administration is removing funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), effective Wednesday (per CBS reporting).
- CIGIE supports nearly 14,000 federal investigative employees and hosts shared websites, hotlines and cross‑agency data/analytics platforms relied on by roughly 30 inspectors‑general offices.
- GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley and Susan Collins wrote to the administration urging reversal and requested records by Friday; former CIGIE chair Mark Greenblatt and ex‑SBA IG Mike Ware issued public warnings about the operational impact.
📍 Contextual Background
- Civilian personnel whose work the Department of Defense designates as 'excepted' continue to work during a government shutdown, while other Department of Defense civilian employees are furloughed.
- The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 provides that government employees automatically receive back pay after a government shutdown.
- During a U.S. federal government shutdown, active-duty military personnel and deployed National Guard members must continue to perform their assigned duties but their pay is delayed until the shutdown ends.
- Republicans and Democrats were engaged in negotiations over government funding ahead of an upcoming funding deadline described as occurring on a Tuesday.