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Protect Our Watchdogs Act of 2025
To amend chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, to establish a for- cause removal standard for Inspectors General, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill amends the Inspector General Act to establish a for-cause removal standard for federal Inspectors General. Currently, the President can remove an Inspector General at will without cause. The bill restricts removals to nine specific documented grounds including permanent incapacity, neglect of duty, malfeasance, conviction of felony or conduct involving moral turpitude, knowing violation of law or regulation, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, and inefficiency. The bill requires that any removal communication include documentation of which specified ground applies to the removal.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
32 cosponsors
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC)
- Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ)
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO)
- Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11] (D-OH)
- Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX)
- Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] (D-TX)
- Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30] (D-TX)
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL)
- Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10] (D-FL)
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL)
- Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] (D-CA)
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY)
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA)
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA)
- Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] (D-CA)
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL)
- Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA)
- Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] (D-CA)
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA)
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA)
- Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7] (D-MD)
- Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47] (D-CA)
- Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-CO)
- Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA)
- Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6] (D-WA)
- Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12] (D-CA)
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM)
- Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10] (D-VA)
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI)
- Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] (D-CA)
- Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25] (D-FL)
- Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5] (D-GA)
Actions (3)
- Sep 8, 2025 ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Bell asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 2181, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection. · house
- Mar 18, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. · house
- Mar 18, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 18, 2025
Mr. Connolly (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Mfume, Ms. Brown, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Frost, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Casar, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Randall, Mr. Subramanyam, Ms. Ansari, Mr. Bell, Ms. Simon, Mr. Min, Ms. Pressley, and Ms. Tlaib) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
A BILL
To amend chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, to establish a for- cause removal standard for Inspectors General, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Our Watchdogs Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. FOR CAUSE REMOVAL STANDARD FOR INSPECTORS GENERAL.
Chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in section 403(b)—
(A) by striking “(b) Removal or Transfer.—” and inserting:
“(b) Removal or Transfer.—
“(1)(A) An”;
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, by inserting after “by the President” the following: “in accordance with paragraph (3)”; and
(C) by inserting at the end the following:
“(3) The President may remove an Inspector General only for any of the following grounds (and the documentation of any such ground shall be included in the communication required pursuant to paragraph (1)):
“(A) Documented permanent incapacity.
“(B) Documented neglect of duty.
“(C) Documented malfeasance.
“(D) Documented conviction of a felony or conduct involving moral turpitude.
“(E) Documented knowing violation of a law or regulation.
“(F) Documented gross mismanagement.
“(G) Documented gross waste of funds.
“(H) Documented abuse of authority.
“(I) Documented inefficiency.”; and
(2) in section 415(e)(2)—
(A) by striking “Transferred.—If” and inserting the following: “Transferred.—
“(A) If”; and
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, by adding at the end the following: “An Inspector General may be removed only for any of the following grounds (and the documentation of any such ground shall be included in the communication required pursuant to this paragraph):
“(i) Documented permanent incapacity.
“(ii) Documented neglect of duty.
“(iii) Documented malfeasance.
“(iv) Documented conviction of a felony or conduct involving moral turpitude.
“(v) Documented knowing violation of a law or regulation.
“(vi) Documented gross mismanagement.
“(vii) Documented gross waste of funds.
“(viii) Documented abuse of authority.
“(ix) Documented inefficiency.”. <all>
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