Incoming House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) recently put out a report detailing the responsibilities of Congress to be a watchdog for the Executive Branch. In his report, Chairman Issa noted that the Oversight and Government Reform Committee requested 61% less information and held 21% fewer hearings than they did before the election of President Obama. To read the full report, click here.

This lack of oversight occurred even as our country was facing the financial meltdown, runaway wasteful "stimulus" spending, bailouts, and secretive backroom deal-making to pass ObamaCare. Unfortunately, in an effort to paper over the executive branch’s failed management, Democrats neglected to call on any significant administration officials to testify before the committee until they were pressured by House Republicans and the media.

So what were Democrats doing instead of getting to the root cause of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression? They held two hearings on "Are Superweeds an Outgrowth of USDA Biotech Policy?" and another on "Ready to Eat or Not: Examining the Impact of Leafy Green Marketing Agreements."

It’s often noted that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again but expect different results. In order to get our economy back on the right track we have to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes in the future. It is our duty on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. This is the only way we can ensure we are on track to make our government smaller, smarter, and more efficient.