Coalition urges Congress to take over GAO leader selection

A coalition of more than a dozen advocacy groups, spanning from Americans for Prosperity to Public Citizen, has sent a letter to lawmakers arguing that the comptroller general should be chosen by Congress rather than the president. They contend the Government Accountability Office is a legislative branch agency, so its head should be appointed by the legislature. The groups say the current vacancy presents an ideal moment to change the law before a new appointment is made.

The current selection process stems from a 1980 statute establishing a ten-member commission drawn from congressional leadership and key committee chairs. That panel must present at least three candidates to the president, who then selects a nominee requiring Senate confirmation. The letter's signatories argue this arrangement improperly inserts the executive branch into what is fundamentally a legislative function, and they note the commission has not yet convened following the vacancy.

The opening arose when Gene L. Dodaro completed his 15-year term in late December, with Orice Williams Brown assuming acting leadership. Past transitions have been slow — Dodaro himself served as acting comptroller for more than two years before his own nomination and confirmation. A 2025 bill by Rep. Ed Case would have shifted appointment authority entirely to Congress, though it did not advance.