Congress Begins Search for GAO Replacement as Legal Challenges Mount Over Trump Administration’s Funds

By James Morley III | Tuesday, 30 December 2025 02:13 PM EST

Bipartisan congressional leaders are set to recommend candidates to President Donald Trump to replace Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), for the first time in nearly two decades.

Orice Williams Brown, a longtime GAO employee, is stepping into the role on an interim basis as Congress searches for a candidate who will serve a 15-year term and be both sober and judicious.

If confirmed by the Senate, the new comptroller general would oversee investigations into whether the Trump administration illegally withheld billions of dollars in 2025.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stated lawmakers are seeking “someone who’s honest.”

“I think it would be a mistake to get somebody who’s been real active in political processes,” Paul added.

By law, Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, serves on a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers responsible for nominating at least three candidates for the position.

Despite expressing appreciation for the GAO’s work, the current comptroller general has faced increasing pressure to sue the Trump administration over withheld federal funds.

This pressure escalated after the Supreme Court suggested this fall that the GAO head may be the only entity with legal standing under long-running impoundment laws.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who will also participate in the panel, emphasized that the next comptroller general must be “willing to call balls and strikes regardless of which party occupies the White House.”

Peters noted that Dodaro leaves behind “a legacy of tremendous credibility, integrity, and independence.”

The Senate panel includes Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.; Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who serves as president pro tempore.

The House delegation features Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the panel’s ranking Democrat.

Comer praised Dodaro earlier this month, stating in a House speech that he is “deeply respected across the government and the oversight community for his integrity, candor, and dedication.”

James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.