Congressional oversight of executive branch agencies is a key element of the checks and balances that prevent accumulation of too much power, as well as abuse of that power, in any one part of government. A review of two recent congressional oversight endeavors now being stymied by the Obama Administration underscores the often-overlooked importance of the oversight process. In both cases, lives are at stake. The first instance relates to a formal request from House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) regarding a particularly egregious waste of taxpayer dollars at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH-funded research helps us live longer and healthier lives. Although NIH is well-funded, its resources are finite. Funding wasteful projects diverts money from important life-saving research. Read more.
