WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is requesting answers from top government agencies on their efforts to track and reduce improper payments. Recently released reports detailed multiple ways that agencies failed to follow requirements to cut down on possible wasteful spending.
“Far too many agencies are failing to follow the requirements for limiting waste, fraud, and abuse,” said McCaskill, former Missouri State Auditor. “I’m committed to holding agencies accountable so that Missourians’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars aren’t going to waste.”
The McCaskill-backed Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 helps save taxpayer dollars by requiring government agencies to follow six requirements to identify, minimize, and recover improper payments. Each year, Inspectors General at federal agencies evaluate how they are doing at following the requirements and make recommendations for how to improve. In letters to the Departments of Labor, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Treasury, Social Security Administration, and Housing and Urban Development, McCaskill outlined problems with agencies’ compliance with limiting improper payments and asked for details on what they will do to save taxpayer dollars in the future. McCaskill previously issued similar letters to the Departments of Education, Defense, and Veterans Affairs.
Since her time as Missouri State Auditor, McCaskill has been a leading voice in Missouri and Washington for cutting wasteful government spending. Earlier this year, McCaskill-backed bipartisan legislation to crack down on misuse of federal agency travel and purchase cards spending passed the Senate. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has unanimously approved two of her bills with Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana to eliminate wasteful spending at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. McCaskill has also expanded whistleblower protections to government contractors, subcontractors, and others who the federal government directly or indirectly hires through bipartisan bills that have been signed into law. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskill waged a successful six-year effort to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in wartime contracting.
Read McCaskill’s letters to the heads of the Departments of Labor, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Treasury, Social Security Administration, and Housing and Urban Development HERE.
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