WASHINGTON, D.C., (Sept. 9, 2024) – Today, U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) introduced the Saving the Integrity of Ethics in Government (SIEG) Act. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (TX-10) is an original cosponsor of the bill.
The SIEG Act follows a recent report from the House Foreign Affairs Committee on vetting failures and misconduct at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), specifically regarding Special Assistant to the Director of Programming at Voice of America Setareh Sieg.
“I have been trying to cut Ms. Sieg’s salary in the last two years’ funding bills because of her gross misconduct at USAGM,” said Rep. Burchett. “The Biden administration rehired her after she had previously been fired for lying on her resume and providing preferential treatment when issuing federal contracts. We need more accountability to stop people like her from getting positions in our federal government ever again.”
The SIEG Act does five things:
- Prohibits USAGM from hiring anyone at a GS-11 level or above who purports to have a foreign academic credential unless the credential has been authenticated through a credential evaluation service or documentation such as an academic transcript or diploma.
- Requires USAGM to receive the documentation described above for all current employees within 180 days of this bill being enacted.
- Requires USAGM to establish a system to track overtime payments and prohibits overtime payments from being signed off on until the agency’s Chief Management officer approves it.
- Requires USAGM and its affiliates to submit a biannual review to Congress to determine if there are any violations of the broadcasting standards and principles.
- Mandates the appointment of a special investigator who would submit a report regarding USAGM’s hiring process, the efficacy and feasibility of the office of inspector general at USAGM, any issues with implementing authentication of foreign academic credentials, and other topics.
Rep. Burchett previously introduced legislation to reduce Sieg’s salary to $1 in the FY2024 and FY2025 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills, but they were not included. He submitted the amendments due to Sieg’s misuse of funds and the fact she lied on her resume.
The full text of the SIEG Act can be found here.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burchett-introduces-bill-address-usagm-irresponsible-hiring-practice