Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked President Trump on Tuesday to provide Congress with the “substantive rationale” behind his decision to fire 18 government agency watchdogs.
“We write to you today concerning the reported firing of Inspectors General (IGs) from 18 offices,” read a letter to Trump from the bipartisan senators.
“Congress was not provided the legally required 30-day notice and case-specific reasons for removal, as required by law,” Grassley and Durbin added.
“Accordingly, we request that you provide that information immediately.”
Trump, 78, reportedly axed the inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency late Friday night without notifying congressional lawmakers, as many argue is required by law, according to the Washington Post.
The IGs of the Departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Treasury and Agriculture were among the officials fired by the president, according to the outlet.
“It’s a very common thing to do,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Saturday, defending the terminations.
“I don’t know them,” he said of the nonpartisan watchdogs responsible for identifying and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse at federal agencies, adding, “But some people thought that some were unfair or some were not doing their job. It’s a very standard thing to do.
“They’re not my people,” the president continued. “I don’t know anybody that would do that. But we’ll put people in there that will be very good.”
IGs serve at the president’s disposal, but the senators note in their letter that a Grassley-authored amendment signed into law as part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires the commander in chief to provide written, detailed communication informing Congress of decisions to terminate or transfer IGs at least 30 days before taking action.
“While IGs aren’t immune from committing acts requiring their removal, and they can be removed by the president, the law must be followed,” Grassley and Durbin argued.
“The communication to Congress must contain more than just broad and vague statements, rather it must include sufficient facts and details to assure Congress and the public that the termination is due to real concerns about the Inspector General’s ability to carry out their mission,” the senators continued.
“This is a matter of public and congressional accountability and ensuring the public’s confidence in the Inspector General community, a sentiment shared more broadly by other Members of Congress,” they added.
“Accordingly, we request that you provide Congress with a written communication that contains the ‘substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for each of the IG’s removed.”
The senators also asked Trump to provide the names of each official that will serve in an acting IG capacity and that he “work quickly to nominate qualified and non-partisan individuals to serve in these open positions.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
