house oversight and government reform committee

Bush administration officials have been under fire for effectively forcing a merger last December between Bank of America and Merrill Lynch without informing BoA shareholders of the financial dire straights Merrill was in at the time.
But yesterday the Obama administration was pulled more deeply into the scandal as well, after newly unveiled BoA documents suggested [...]

Yesterday, the House passed legislation allowing federal employees four weeks of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child — a luxury they don’t currently have, instead forced “to cobble together accrued sick days and vacation time,” according to a statement from bill sponsor Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).
Among the most vociferous opponents of [...]

Just a few weeks after Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) requested information from Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner about White House plans to sidestep executive pay limits for bailed out firms (information that still hasn’t been provided), Towns is asking Geithner about his role in Bank of America’s reportedly shady acquisition of Merrill Lynch in December.
Yesterday, the [...]

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, appearing today before the congressional bailout oversight panel, repeatedly emphasized the importance of transparency to the success of the rescue plan.
“In a crisis, transparency, accountability and a coherent plan with clear goals are essential to maintain the confidence of the public and capital markets,” he told the panel.
Funny, then, that Geithner [...]

It’s April 16, and in Washington this year that signifies something more than a Tea Party hangover. It’s also the date by which Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was asked to respond to congressional questions about the administration’s plans to skirt congressional conditions on Wall Street bailout recipients.

From the letter delivered to the Treasury secretary Monday from the office of Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in the wake of the news that Treasury intends to create middlemen to skirt some rules for bailout recipients:
1. Is it your position that the executive compensation limits and [...]

Here’s a saga worthy of much more attention than it’s getting: A House oversight panel launched an investigation Monday into the Treasury Department’s plans to elude Congress-passed executive pay limits on bailout recipients by creating middleman agencies to filter the funds.

California Rep. Henry Waxman (D) might be headed for the chairmanship of the House energy committee, but not before he gets a final shot at the Bush administration from atop the oversight panel.
A report released today from Waxman’s office — a joint effort with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, headed by Rep. James Oberstar [...]

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y) will replace Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Cal.) atop the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced yesterday. The veteran Towns — just reelected to his 14th term — will fill the void left after Waxman’s successful win over Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) as chairman of the Energy and [...]