Choosing a Comptroller General is a 15-year bet on the integrity of congressional oversight. The American Governance Institute and seven cosponsoring organizations have sent to Congress a set of principles outlining how nominees should be evaluated. At the heart of the framework is a simple but consequential idea: independence is everything. The Comptroller General, as head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), must be guided by evidence, not ideology, and committed to serving Congress—not any party, administration, or political faction.

The nine-point document, available here, is less about creating boxes to check and more about how to safeguard GAO credibility. In an era of polarized politics and strained institutional trust, Congress should approve a Comptroller General who embodies steadiness, fairness, and professional judgment. By insisting on independence, experience, leadership, and long-term commitment, these principles aim to protect GAO’s reputation as one of Washington’s most trusted accountability institutions—and, by extension, to strengthen Congress’s ability to follow the facts wherever they lead.

Leadership looms large in the criteria as well. GAO is a large, complex organization with a global footprint and a sweeping mandate. Running it effectively requires more than technical expertise; it demands strategic vision, operational discipline, and a demonstrated ability to cultivate a culture of nonpartisanship and analytic rigor. The principles also point toward leading on modernization through leveraging data science, emerging technologies, and innovative audit practices to ensure GAO remains relevant in a rapidly evolving federal landscape.

Organizations endorsing these principles include:

Americans for Prosperity

American Governance Institute

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

Levin Center

Project On Government Oversight

Protect Democracy

R Street Institute

Taxpayers Protection Alliance