Watchdog Turns 100 but Keeps Barking: Help Us Celebrate Our 100th Birthday—Virtually

In celebration of our 100^th birthday, we will host a virtual event on Wednesday, July 14, starting at 1 p.m. The online ceremony will mark a century of nonpartisan, fact-based work for Congress, which began at GAO on July 1, 1921.

Our event will include video tributes from Members of Congress, historical perspectives from the current Comptroller General Gene Dodaro and 2 of his predecessors, as well as remarks from various GAO executives. We are excited to highlight the contributions of our diverse staff to our agency’s mission and future direction. This event is open to the public and can be found at the following link: https://youtu.be/Mg0qQQrXooY

Over the past century, our work has improved government performance, increased transparency, and saved taxpayer dollars. “GAO has a proud history of service to Congress and the American people,” said Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and the head of the GAO. “I hope the public will join current and past GAO leaders, Members of Congress, and myself in commemorating this important milestone in government oversight and accountability.”

Known as the “investigative arm of Congress,” we identify what is working well in government, as well as areas where improvements are needed. Each year, we issue hundreds of reports, and our senior officials testify before dozens of congressional committees and subcommittees. In fiscal year 2020 alone, the financial benefits of our work totaled $77.6 billion.

We hope that you will join us in this commemorative experience, highlighting our agency’s past, present, and future impact. To learn more, check out our video “GAO@100 – A Century of Non-partisan, Fact-Based Work” with Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, who discusses the agency’s history and where we’re going next.