According to a press release issued by the GAO last week, David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, is leaving government to head up the newly-formed Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which is dedicated to “sensible policy solutions to a range of sustainability and transformation challenges” that face the USA today. This is really interesting because Walker has been very outspoken (for a government employee) about Congress’s failures to take action on impending structural and economic problems facing the country. 

I wrote about Walker a couple of times before on my own blog: once regarding the Fiscal Wake Up Tour and another time about his appearance on The Colbert Report. He makes extremely compelling arguments about the need for policy makers to put aside their usual squabbling and pay attention to fundamental problems occurring in the country’s economy but, as he notes… 

“As Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO, there are real limitations on what I can do and say in connection with key public policy issues, especially issues that directly relate to GAO’s client — the Congress. My new position will provide me with the ability and resources to more aggressively address a range of current and emerging challenges facing our country, including advocating specific policy solutions and courses of action. This move will enable me to sharpen my messages and bring focus and attention to the fiscal and other key sustainability challenges that I and others have been discussing during the past several years.” 

He’s clearly been chomping at the bit to speak out more, and this position in the Foundation may well give him that opportunity — especially with a $1 BILLION endowment. 

Through the prism of TCG’s aim to save taxpayers $1 billion by 2011, this is an exciting development!