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PartialGovernment Reform, Ethics & Democracy

Biden pledged to strengthen inspector general laws to give [inspectors general] the full subpoena power and independence they need to investigate and publicize any official's actual or attempted improper conduct.

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PartialFact-checker reviewConfidence: 80%

The FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which Biden signed into law on Dec. 23, 2022, carried the Securing Inspector General Independence Act: any president must now give Congress a substantive, case-specific rationale 30 days before removing an inspector general, faces new limits on sidelining IGs through non-duty status, and must draw acting IGs from senior watchdog ranks. Those provisions measurably strengthened inspectors general's independence during Biden's term. However, the enacted law did not give IGs the promised 'full subpoena power' - proposals to grant inspectors general testimonial subpoena authority were not included - so the promise was partly fulfilled.

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