Ending Waste, Fraud and Abuse PDF Print
Like most Americans, I am tired of hearing about waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington. I am determined to make every effort to stop excessive government spending and make government more accountable to you. Here are some of the steps I have taken this year.

Bank Bailout:
  • Congressman Adler voted against releasing the second half of the $350 billion in spending for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
  • He sponsored and voted for legislation to increase the transparency at Treasury about how financial institutions are using their bailout funds. The money provided to Treasury was intended to loosen up credit on Main Street. If banks are not using the money as intended, Congress and taxpayers should know about it.
  • In November, he voted in the House Financial Services Committee to prevent the Treasury from accessing any remaining TARP funds, effectively ending the program. The amendment Congressman Adler supported would officially terminate the TARP program this year and prevent a possible extension into the future. Under the original legislation authorizing TARP, the program is supposed to expire on December 31, 2009.
  • He believes that all repaid TARP funds must go towards paying down the national debt.

Reducing Federal Spending: Congressman Adler is determined to cut excessive government spending. That is why, Congressman Adler voted  to reduce $1.2 trillion from the annual spending bills.

Eliminating Deficits: Congressman Adler voted to strengthen Congress' commitment to fiscal responsibility and accountability by reinstituting "pay-as-you-go" (PAYGO) rules. The bill will help eliminate deficit spending, thus putting government on the right track to reducing dangerous deficits in tough economic times. Additionally, Congressman Adler sponsored legislation titled, Repaying the American Taxpayer Act of 2009, which would use all bank bailout funds to pay down the national debt, and stop the Treasury Department from handing out more taxpayer dollars without Congressional oversight.

The 21st Century FHA Housing Act: In September, the House of Representatives passed Congressman Adler's bi-partisan bill to increase efficiency at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The legislation would provide the FHA with the tools needed to effectively underwrite mortgages and monitor lenders participating in the program. The 21st Century FHA Housing Act will provide the FHA with the flexibility to hire high qualified staff to keep predatory lenders out of the program and to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.  We cannot allow poor underwriting standards to cause a recurrence of the mortgage crisis that has hurt all homeowners who pay their bills on time and play by the rules.

Veterans: Congressman Adler has consistently called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase transparency and accountability at the agency, and throughout the country's veterans' hospitals. Congressman Adler, the only Philadelphia-area member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, called for a congressional investigation into reports that the VA Hospital in Philadelphia did not do enough to prevent medical misconduct. He has also urged the committee to look into excessive bonuses at the VA.

Debt Commission: The debt commission is an independent group of experts to analyze federal spending trends and make recommendations to Congress on how to reduce the federal debt.  Congressman Adler recently cosponsored a bill in the House that will examine the long-term fiscal challenges facing the U.S. and develop legislation to reduce the debt burden for future generations.

Pension Forfeiture:

  • For a country founded on the rule of law and on the commitment to build a government for the people, the United States cannot stand for public corruption. Over the past decade, over 9,350 public officials were convicted of public corruption. In 2008 alone, 458 federal officials were convicted of public corruption—a sharp increase from 381 convictions in 2004. Ironically, many of these federal government employees are allowed to keep their life-time federal pensions. Federal pensions are funded by the American taxpayer and paid to people for their honest service as federal employees. These pensions are not intended to be rewards for those who dishonor their service to the American people. 
  • For these reasons, Congressman Adler has introduced H.R. 4531, the Public Corruption Elimination Act, which expands the category of crimes eligible for pension forfeiture. The Public Corruption Elimination Act is a common sense, bipartisan, solution to a problem that has continued to degenerate over the last decade. Congressman Adler's legislation would now cover the following crimes for pension forfeiture: bribery, graft, misappropriation of public funds or property, or conflicts of interest that occurred in connection with the individual's service as an employee. The bill's objective is simple: if an employee is convicted of a felony related to abusing the official duties of their office, they should not collect a taxpayer funded pension. Congressman Adler is committed to making our government more accountable and efficient with Americans hard-earned tax dollars.

ACORN: After recent reports of ACORN misusing their federal resources, Congressman Adler voted to strip federal funding from ACORN. Congressman Adler understands that taxpayer dollars should be spent wisely and that Congress must do a better job of tracking where and how it is used.

Improper Payments:  It is estimated that for FY2009, federal agencies made nearly $98 billion in improper payments.  These improper payments occur when a federal agency pays too much for a good or service, pays for something twice, or purchases the wrong product or service. This outrageous and unacceptable.

That is why Congressman Adler is a strong supporter for the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act which aims to recover taxpayer dollars and crack down on the wasteful practice of improper payments. This common-sense policy will reduce waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars and require greater transparency and accountability of the way federal agencies manage their budgets. We need to hold government agencies accountable, root out waste and inefficiencies and use these savings to pay down our debt. Congress must continue to find more ways to protect our taxpayer dollars to reduce government spending and put more money in the pockets of families, seniors and small businesses.

Truth in Spending : I am a proud sponsor of the Truth in Spending Act which requires the President and the Congress to examine and reassess the cost and projected savings of all direct spending legislation every 5 and 10 years. If direct spending legislation costs more than estimated or the projected reduction in the deficit fails to occur, the Truth in Spending Act creates a fast-track process to reduce the excess costs. Congress works off CBO estimates but sometimes these estimates can be wrong. This bill makes sure that we are constantly using the most accurate numbers when determining how we pay for programs.


Help me End, Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

I want to make sure that government dollars are spent wisely. That's why I'm asking you to help me identify instances of waste, fraud and abuse in government. If you see government funds being spent improperly - from contracting abuse to money in the Recovery Act - please click on the link below:

Click here to tell Rep. Adler about waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars

What do I need to do if I have information about wasteful spending?

Fill out the form above if you have information that will help stop or prevent the waste of taxpayer dollars. Please provide your contact information so we can contact you if further information is needed.

What will Rep. Adler do with constituent reports of waste, fraud or abuse of taxpayer dollars?

Rep. Adler will research and report claims of wasted taxpayer dollars to the appropriate investigative agency, including the Attorney General, Government Accountability Office or the Inspector Generals at individual agencies. Congressman Adler will also request Congressional Investigations, if warranted.