Government pandemic watchdog warns of 'reduced oversight' for pandemic relief programs

The Treasury Department's special inspector general for pandemic recovery is warning of "reduced oversight" of two Covid relief programs given billions to distribute, as it says its jurisdiction has been hampered and claims "things are not working well."

In a quarterly report to Congress released Friday, Brian Miller, the special inspector general, said his office and the Treasury inspector general were engaged in a months-long internal struggle concerning oversight of the airline industry's Payroll Support Program and the Coronavirus Relief Fund for state and local governments. The feud between the two inspectors general illustrates the challenges in tracking and preventing fraud in trillions of dollars in relief funds, and comes as the White House is pushing for trillions more in spending as part of its ambitious economic agenda following President Joe Biden's signing of a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 economic relief package in March.