Q&A: Tackling Fraud & Fighting for Whistleblowers

Q&A: Tackling Fraud & Fighting for Whistleblowers

With U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley

Q: How can the federal government claw back taxpayer money lost to fraud?

A: Iowans work hard for their money and don't want to see fraudsters enriching themselves at their expense. The U.S. Treasury is not a piggy bank for fraudsters to exploit and drain public assistance programs for profit. Iowans expect their elected representatives to fight fraud and I've teamed up with Sen. Joni Ernst to do just that. According to the Government Accountability Office, the federal government loses up to $521 billion every year to sticky fingers swindling Uncle Sam. Their crimes rip off taxpayers and deprive services from people in need. Our comprehensive bipartisan package tackles fraud across the federal bureaucracy and holds wrongdoers accountable.

The Protecting American Taxpayers Act takes aim at fraud in government with more than a dozen tools that would:

• Claw back more than $65 billion in unspent pandemic dollars
• Distribute federal payments as reimbursements only after a service has been provided
• Ban criminals convicted of defrauding the Small Business Administration from receiving future assistance
• Allow Inspectors General to pay bonuses to employees who uncover fraud and waste in government programs
• Improve reporting requirements in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to root out improper payments
• Prohibit funds distributed to countries covered by travel bans or arms embargoes
• Disclose cash assistance in Afghanistan to restrict Taliban access
• Extend statute of limitations to ensure pandemic fraudsters are caught and held accountable
• Curb international transfers of government benefits by requiring individuals who make foreign wire transfers to certify they don't receive public assistance
• Close existing loopholes in whistleblower protection laws to protect employees of federal contractors for reporting wrongdoing

Q: Why are whistleblowers essential to rooting out government fraud?

A: From the earliest day of our republic, whistleblowers established a legacy of patriotic service for generations to come. In 1777, 10 brave sailors reported wrongdoing by the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy. They exposed he was violating orders to treat British prisoners humanely. History has a way of repeating itself, i.e., their superior retaliated against the truthtellers. He filed a criminal libel suit against them. The Continental Congress stood by the patriots and agreed to defray litigation costs for the whistleblower defendants with legislation unanimously enacted on July 30, 1778. The nation's founders recognized transparency brings accountability. This set an invaluable precedent for the new republic, one that I've continued through my advocacy on behalf of whistleblowers throughout my time in the U.S. Senate. As co-founder and co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus, I lead an annual bipartisan resolution to recognize July 30 as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day to honor the contributions of the brave men and women who stand up for truth. Celebrating their service and sacrifice may inspire others to come forward. I'll continue working to curb anti-gag provisions and illegal non-disclosure policies that muzzle would-be whistleblowers from reporting wrongdoing and saving taxpayer money.

A Lincoln-era law I updated in 1986 empowers whistleblowers to shine a light on wrongdoing. It continues to be the government's single greatest tool to fight fraud. To date, my amendments to the False Claims Act have recovered more than $85 billion for taxpayers, and saved countless more by deterring would be fraudsters. Most of that is thanks to patriotic whistleblowers. Most recently, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania to strengthen the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) whistleblower program that I helped create in 2010. Our bill would boost protections for whistleblowers who safeguard the commodities trading industry, a critical marketplace for farmers to manage risk and lock in prices for their products. Since making its first award in 2014, the CFTC has made $430 million in whistleblower awards and issued over $3.7 billion in monetary sanctions.

As America celebrates 250 years of self-government, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who've summoned the courage to stick their necks out and put their livelihoods on the line to expose corruption. From securities and commodities fraud to tax evasion and grifters siphoning public dollars from Uncle Sam's spigot, I'm proud my fraud-fighting laws have recovered more than 90 billion dollars to the federal treasury, and counting. On Whistleblower Appreciation Day and throughout the year, I'll continue championing those who report abuse of government authority and threats to public safety and national security. Patriotic truthtellers should not be treated like skunks at a picnic.

• Print
• Email
• Like
• Tweet