Taxpayers Win Earmark Transparency & Whistleblower Protections

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved language on the Defense Authorization bill last night which improves disclosure of Congressional earmarks (pdf) and improves taxpayer protections for whistleblowers (pdf) who work for defense contractors.

This week, POGO wrote to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member John McCain to urge that the Committee fix language on the bill in order to ensure that all earmarks must comply with new public disclosure rules. Senator John McCain proposed language to fix the loophole. As a result, when Members of Congress request additional funding for existing contracts or programs, those earmarks and their sponsor will be made public. Tell Senator McCain you appreciate his efforts to shed light on earmarks and pork barrel spending here.

POGO also helped lead the effort to ensure that the Committee adopted whistleblower protections for employees of defense contractors which had been proposed by Senator Claire McCaskill. Three cheers to Senator McCaskill who is quickly making a reputation as a "good government" champion to watch. Recent scandals exposed by industry whistleblowers, including the $24 billion Deepwater contracting debacle, underscore the vital importance of protecting individuals who have the moral courage to step forward and alert taxpayers to waste, fraud, and abuse. Send your letters and emails of thanks to Senator McCaskill here.

-- Beth Daley