I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2181 
To amend chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, to establish a for- 
cause removal standard for Inspectors General, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2025 
Mr. 
CONNOLLY
(for 
himself, 
Ms. 
NORTON, 
Mr. 
LYNCH, 
Mr. 
KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MFUME, Ms. BROWN, Ms. 
STANSBURY, Mr. GARCIA of California, Mr. FROST, Ms. LEE of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. CASAR, Ms. CROCKETT, Ms. RANDALL, Mr. SUBRAMANYAM, 
Ms. ANSARI, Mr. BELL, Ms. SIMON, Mr. MIN, Ms. PRESSLEY, and Ms. 
TLAIB) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To amend chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, to estab-
lish a for-cause removal standard for Inspectors General, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Our Watch-
dogs Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. FOR CAUSE REMOVAL STANDARD FOR INSPECTORS 
GENERAL. 
Chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 403(b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(b) REMOVAL OR TRANS-
FER.—’’ and inserting: 
‘‘(b) REMOVAL OR TRANSFER.— 
‘‘(1)(A) An’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, 
by inserting after ‘‘by the President’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘in accordance with paragraph (3)’’; 
and 
(C) by inserting at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) The President may remove an Inspector 
General only for any of the following grounds (and 
the documentation of any such ground shall be in-
cluded in the communication required pursuant to 
paragraph (1)): 
‘‘(A) Documented permanent incapacity. 
‘‘(B) Documented neglect of duty. 
‘‘(C) Documented malfeasance. 
‘‘(D) Documented conviction of a felony or 
conduct involving moral turpitude. 
‘‘(E) Documented knowing violation of a 
law or regulation. 
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‘‘(F) Documented gross mismanagement. 
‘‘(G) Documented gross waste of funds. 
‘‘(H) Documented abuse of authority. 
‘‘(I) Documented inefficiency.’’; and 
(2) in section 415(e)(2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘TRANSFERRED.—If’’ and 
inserting the following: ‘‘TRANSFERRED.— 
‘‘(A) If’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, 
by adding at the end the following: ‘‘An Inspec-
tor General may be removed only for any of the 
following grounds (and the documentation of 
any such ground shall be included in the com-
munication required pursuant to this para-
graph): 
‘‘(i) Documented permanent inca-
pacity. 
‘‘(ii) Documented neglect of duty. 
‘‘(iii) Documented malfeasance. 
‘‘(iv) Documented conviction of a fel-
ony or conduct involving moral turpitude. 
‘‘(v) Documented knowing violation of 
a law or regulation. 
‘‘(vi) Documented gross mismanage-
ment. 
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‘‘(vii) Documented gross waste of 
funds. 
‘‘(viii) Documented abuse of author-
ity. 
‘‘(ix) Documented inefficiency.’’. 
Æ 
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