Non-Partisan Organization Ranks McCaskill Top Senator for Transparency

Independent organization GovTrack ranked Senators, Congressmen based on support for bills supporting transparency in government

WASHINGTON – Non-partisan organization GovTrack has ranked U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill the top Senator for government transparency. In its rankings, the organization looked at whether legislators supported legislation that advanced government transparency and openness.

“It’s a simple idea—the only way to keep government clean, honest, and accountable to the people is for the people to know exactly what’s going on in their government,” said McCaskill, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a former Missouri State Auditor. “That’s why transparency is a top priority for me, and for Missouri.”

McCaskill scored several legislative victories around government accountability and transparency in the last Congress. Teaming up with Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, she led efforts to pass the bipartisan Inspector General Empowerment Act, which enhances watchdogs’ ability to oversee waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars at federal agencies.

In another step toward strengthening accountability in government, McCaskill’s legislation to extend whistleblower protections was passed by Congress and signed into law. The bill would extend and make permanent current whistleblower protections to nearly all federal government grantees, subgrantees, contractors and subcontractors, as well as prohibit contractors from being reimbursed for legal fees accrued in their defense against retaliation claims by whistleblowers.

McCaskill also joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Taxpayers Right To Know Act, to increase transparency and accountability in government by making public the costs and details of every federal program, so taxpayers can better know how their tax dollars are being spent.

 

McCaskill’s Fight for Transparency in Government

McCaskill has consistently fought and led investigations to bring greater transparency to government:

  • Passed legislation extending whistleblower protections for all federal government grantees, subgrantees, and subcontractors, and make permanent these protections for all federal contractors.
  • Led efforts to pass the Inspector General Empowerment Act, which enhances watchdogs’ ability to oversee waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars at federal agencies.

 

  • Supported the bipartisan Taxpayers Right To Know Act to bring transparency and accountability by allowing taxpayers to see how their tax dollars are being spent.

 

  • Introduced the bipartisan Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act, to extend federal whistleblower protections to congressional staff and bring more accountability to Congress, and legislation to enhance federal whistleblower protections for national security personnel, giving employees the right to appeal a revoked or suspended security clearance in retaliation for whistleblowing.

 

  • McCaskill introduced legislation that would require all federal contracts of $150,000 or more be posted online in an easily accessible, publicly searchable format.

 

  • Requested a review and strongly questioned accountability and transparency of Transportation Security Administration’s special contracting authority.

 

  • Introduced legislation that would require the firing of any Veterans Affairs employee found to have retaliated against a whistleblower.

 

  • Continually advocated for a public markup of annual National Defense Authorization Act and when she was Chairman, opened the doors for the first time in 15 years of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support hearing on the bill.

 

Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to read more about McCaskill’s fight for stronger accountability in Washington.

 

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