The move is the latest attempt by President Donald Trump and his government to reshape the American state apparatus.
The dismissal of up to 20 supervisory chiefs began on Friday evening, and came without warning. It has also prompted Republicans to react.
The law requires that Congress be informed of the dismissal of a supervisory chief (inspector general) at least 30 days in advance.
There may be good reasons for them being fired. But if so, we need to know. I want to see further explanations from the President, says Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, who leads the Senate's Justice Committee.
But the statement was a gentle breeze in the face of Democratic protests.
This is a chilling purge and an insight into the way Donald Trump and his government will all too often act, says Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer in the chamber.
Exactly how many or which supervisory chiefs have been fired has not been made public. According to The Washington Post, at least those who are to oversee work within the departments of agriculture, trade, defense, and education have been fired.
Schumer, like many party colleagues, notes that the role of supervisory chiefs is to stop corruption, malfeasance, and fraud within the authorities.
With reference to Trump's words about "USA's golden era beginning now", Schumer says:
This is an obvious sign that we are entering a golden era of abuse of power and corruption.
