Brad Ellsworth | CONGRESSMAN FOR THE 8TH DISTRICT OF INDIANA

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CONGRESSMAN BRAD ELLSWORTH

As the 8th District's Congressman, Brad Ellsworth is continuing his career-long commitment to put Hoosiers first. In Congress, he is a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and is working to reduce waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. He also sits on the Armed Services, Agriculture, and Small Business Committees.

Before coming to Congress, Brad spent 24-years in the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's office protecting the people of southwest Indiana. He was twice decorated for heroism in the line of duty and graduated from the FBI National Academy. In 1998, Brad was elected Vanderburgh County Sheriff, where he completed two terms. Brad was born and raised in southern Indiana. He grew up in Evansville; attending University of Southern Indiana and Indiana State University. Brad and his wife, Beth, reside in Evansville. Together they have a daughter, Andrea.

07 21

Ellsworth on Wall Street Reform Signing: Middle Class Hoosiers Investors Score Victory over Wall Street Lobbyists

Today, following the signing of the Wall Street Reform bill which will help protect Hoosier investors from having their life savings, 401Ks, and college funds gambled away by a few unscrupulous Wall S... MORE

07 21

Ellsworth Votes to Help U.S Manufacturers Compete in the Global Economy

Today, as Hoosier businesses continue to climb out of this recession, Brad Ellsworth voted to provide tax relief for U.S Manufacturers to help them compete in the global economy: “For too long Ho... MORE

Featured Issue: Healthcare

Skyrocketing costs have forced many small businesses to either shift the growing cost of their insurance programs to their employees or eliminate their health plans altogether. The result: the majority of workers haven't seen any increase in their buying power in the last decade, since any additional compensation is quickly absorbed by their increasing health insurance premiums. Read More

Date Roll Bill Vote More Votes >
Dec 01 595 h res 1724 Yea
Dec 01 594 h res 1217 Aye
Dec 01 593 h j res 101 Yea
Dec 01 592 h res 1430 Aye
Dec 01 591 h res 1735 Aye
Dec 01 590 h con res 323 Yea
Dec 01 589 h res 1741 Yea
  • EVANSVILLE DISTRICT OFFICE
    101 NW Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Room 124 Evansville, IN 47708 T 812.465.6484 | F 812.422.4761
  • TERRE HAUTE DISTRICT OFFICE
    901 Wabash Avenue Suite 140 Terre Haute, IN 47807 T 812.232.0523 | F 812.232.0526
  • WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE
    513 Cannon House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 T 202.225.4636 | F 202.225.3284 Toll Free 866.567.0227
WHAT'S NEW

Government Waste

Government Waste

Congress must address one of the most unnecessary obstacles to reaching a balanced budget: taxpayer dollars lost to waste, fraud, and abuse.

In my seat on the House Committee on Armed Services, I have learned that a significant amount of money has been lost to waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq. The Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has told Congress as much as 15% of U.S. funding for Iraqi reconstruction has been wasted. By his calculations, that means nearly $3 billion in taxpayer dollars.

Waste, fraud, and abuse may also be putting our troops at greater risk. Significant amounts of weapons and equipment supplied to Iraq Security Forces cannot be accounted for. And these reports confirm what many of us already knew, Congress cannot continue its lax oversight of Iraq spending without incurring serious consequences. It is our responsibility to meet the rampant waste, fraud and abuse head on with increased oversight and accountability.

That's why I co-sponsored the Blue Dog Coalition resolution to provide for increased oversight and accountability of Iraq funding. The bill calls for increased transparency of Iraq spending, the creation of a Truman Commission to investigate awarding of war contracts, providing funding through the regular appropriations process, and leveraging U.S. resources to make sure the Iraqis take responsibility for their own internal policing.

In my seat on the House Committee on Small Business, I have heard about numerous budget problems in agencies like the Small Business Administration-where resources are so scarce that oversight is halted altogether, opening the door to waste, fraud and abuse. 

It is unacceptable for billions of taxpayer dollars to be thrown away due to improper accounting and scant oversight.  As Congress works to balance our nation's budget, the priority must be to spend your tax dollars wisely and reduce waste. Read more about bringing fiscal responsibility to Washington