"This oversight effort is about making sure the watchdogs are getting the job done," Mr. Grassley said in a statement.

He has led congressional oversight efforts on consumer products ranging from tobacco and dietary supplements to lead-contaminated children's toys and toxic FEMA trailers.

His personal 12-point platform prioritized direct democracy, fair political party competition, and anti-corruption oversight efforts alongside social welfare reforms.

Although such highly visible endeavors are significant, they usually reflect only a small portion of Congress's total oversight effort.

Other titles of the bill are honeycombed with audit, reporting and specific oversight efforts by both the executive and legislative branches.

The definite termination date was also seen as helpful for planning future oversight efforts from Bush administration agencies, he said.

They described the scrutiny as part of an attempt to focus the committee's oversight efforts on high-priority threats, including terrorism, weapons proliferation and North Korea, as well as Iran.

Aides to Mr. Roberts and Mr. Rockefeller said Saturday that it would be inaccurate to characterize the oversight effort as a formal review.

In general, the committee will continue to maintain a strong linkage between formal oversight efforts and legislative initiatives.

He has led oversight efforts to improve efficiency and reduce cost overruns in expensive weapons programs.