Let the Sunshine In
Working toward a government that is fully accountable to its people — a government that’s transparent and efficient, free of waste, fraud, and abuse — is a Missouri value. As a former Missouri State Auditor and a prosecutor, I know how important it is to shine light into all corners of government to make sure that taxpayers’ money is spent appropriately, outcomes meet expectations, and officials and agencies are responsive to the law and to the people.
That’s why I have introduced a set of proposals in the Senate as part of “Sunshine Week,” a national effort to promote open government and freedom of information. My proposals would:
- Make Congress operate with the same level of accountability as most agencies — by extending federal whistleblower protections to Congressional staff and to national security personnel,
- Require all federal contracts worth more than $150,000 be posted online in a transparent, easily searchable manner,
- And give the Pentagon’s top watchdog the authority to conduct oversight of the newly-created bureau dedicated to managing security clearance background investigation processes.
Government accountability is so important and that’s why I’m making it my very first post on Medium. While it may not be the most glamorous of topics — in fact sometimes it’s even downright ugly — it’s something that affects each and every one of us.
Whistleblowers are our first line of defense against the abuse of taxpayer dollars, and their place of employment, whether it’s a national security organization or an office in Congress, shouldn’t affect their legal protections when coming forward to report wrongdoing. Protecting potential whistleblowers and ensuring they feel secure and empowered to address waste and fraud is a bipartisan issue and a crucial first step in regaining American’s trust in the government.
It is also important that we make federal contracts easily accessible and searchable, to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly. In the 2014 fiscal year, the federal government procured more than $445 billion worth of goods, works, and services — but the details were largely kept out of public view. My legislation would require that all federal contracts over $150,000 be posted online in an easily accessible, publicly searchable format.
Finally, I am introducing a measure that would give the Pentagon’s top watchdog the authority to conduct oversight of the newly-created National Background Investigation Bureau and cosponsoring legislation to increase the oversight of background checks for individuals who access secure facilities. The security clearance background investigation process has been plagued by backlogs and cybersecurity concerns in recent years, including a major cyberattack in 2014, and oversight of this process and the organization that conducts it is paramount.
One of the very first things I did when I got to the Senate in 2007 was to help pass some of the most sweeping ethics reforms Washington had seen in decades — before waging a successful six-year battle against wasteful wartime contracting practices. In 2014, I proposed legislation that would extend whistleblower protections to intelligence community contractors, an initiative that received the support of nearly 50 good government groups. Today, as the ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I’m keeping up this fight with new legislation that will let a little more sunshine into our government.
To learn more about these proposals, visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability. It is on us to make sure that our government is truly a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
