1/ Nancy Pelosi compared the new House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis to the Truman Committee, reasonably arguing that congressional attention can be very important in deterring fraud. But... https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/4220 

2/ It's worth noting a few points about the Truman Committee. (I happened to pick up a book about it a couple months back, in the before time: Donald H. Riddle, The Truman Committee, Rutgers University Press, 1964.) There are some important differences.

3/ Truman pushed to start the committee because he was especially interested in procurement fraud (inspired by a constituent letter!). But he was successful because FDR and the administration thought he would be a friendlier and more discreet overseer than the likely alternative.

4/ The Truman Committee put a very high premium on secrecy and working with the administration, rather than embarrassing it. And it was basically trusting...

5/ When it received some tips that led it to poke around the Manhattan Project, Secretary of War Stimson told Truman that "it was an undertaking paralleling a German project and that the first country to succeed would probably win the war. Truman dropped the matter there."

6/ The Truman Committee also had a natural ally; it was devoted largely to bolstering civilian agencies in conflict with branches of the military in the mobilization effort. It was important in forcing an upgrade of the Office of Production Management into War Production Board.

7/ When I think about Clyburn's committee, it's not clear who its natural allies might be. The Special Inspector General, perhaps, against whatever resistance that person may encounter. But will have to see if it can figure out cooperative, and not merely adversarial, role.

8/ The one big similarity is a sense of moral righteousness in countering opportunistic self-dealing in a time of crisis. Both in WWII and now, Americans' sense of fairness makes them eager to take down anyone who would seek advantage at the expense of fellow citizens.

9/ And that leads to perhaps most important lesson for Clyburn Committee: the Truman Committee thrived on tips it received from thousands of private citizens, including those who were being paid to stand around on cost-plus contracts. They need to make themselves a clearinghouse.