This week, I joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Taxpayers Right to Know Act, a bill to increase accountability and efficiency in government by requiring every federal agency to provide an annual report card for each of its programs detailing how taxpayer dollars are being spent. The American people deserve to know where their hard-earned money goes when they send it to Washington. With all the waste and abuse that occurs at the federal level, it is no wonder the American people don’t trust Washington with their tax dollars. We must increase accountability in government spending, and this bill will take a big step towards accomplishing that.
This bill was introduced with bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress by lead sponsors Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Congressman James Lankford (R-OK). This bill would require each government program to be identified and described in order to pinpoint and reduce duplicative programs and cut back on wasteful spending. The report card would also shed light on unnecessary or reckless spending by outlining the total administrative costs, expenditures for services, number of beneficiaries who receive assistance, and an estimate of the number of staff who administer each program.
On Tuesday, Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and I sent a letter to the VA Inspector General asking him to look into the issue of long wait times for veterans seeking mental health services. Our veterans have sacrificed enough, and we owe it to them to provide them with the quality, timely care they need and deserve.
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has held two hearings this year on VA mental health accessibility. At the first hearing on July 14th the Committee heard the first-hand stories of two service members, who even after attempting to take their own lives, had appointments postponed and difficulties cutting through the red tape in order to get care. Then, just last week, the Committee heard from a VA psychologist and mental health care coordinator who testified about delays in providing mental health care treatment, including care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Making veterans wait so long for the care they have earned is wrong, and it must be addressed. This Army Times article on the issue is worth the read.
On Wednesday, I introduced the Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act, a bill requiring a report from the Secretary of State regarding the designation of the Haqqani Network as a terrorist organization. Although they have been behind numerous attacks on civilians and U.S. and coalition forces, the Haqqani Network is not currently designated as a terrorist organization. The Haqqanis are a violent extremist group who have perpetrated deadly attacks on U.S. forces and innocent Afghan civilians, used murder as an intimidation tactic against the Afghan people, and employed suicide attacks with deadly effectiveness. Their size, resources, experience, and well organized execution of attacks makes them an extremely dangerous group, and they deserve to be classified as a terrorist organization. This designation would allow us to more aggressively pursue them as well as limit the ability of foreign governments to provide them with aid and assistance. You can learn more about the Haqqanis in this Foreign Policy Magazine blog post and my press release.
I am proud to congratulate Latoya Lucas from Rocky Mount, NC, on being selected by VA to serve on The Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. Latoya is a retired Army specialist who was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for the wounds she suffered during her deployment to Iraq. Latoya has dedicated herself to working with other female veterans who face physical and mental challenges and showing them first-hand that it is possible to overcome obstacles, no matter how daunting they may seem. Her remarkable dedication to service has motivated many, and she has been recognized with several awards, including the Tony Snow Public Service award.
In the middle of this busy week, Americans across the nation and around the world paused to remember and reflect on the significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago. Decades have passed since that day, but its memories are still vivid for the survivors who lost friends and shipmates that December morning. We must never forget those men and women who gave their lives in the defense of our naval fleet at Pearl Harbor and the millions of Americans who answered the call to duty on the home front and served and sacrificed on the battlefields of the Pacific, Asia, and Europe in the years of war that followed.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to destroy and disable our Pacific Fleet and shock and demoralize the American public, but instead, it galvanized the American spirit and stiffened our national resolve. The American people joined together to mobilize all the resources of our nation to support the Allied effort to confront and repel the totalitarian Axis powers led by Japan and Germany and ultimately defeat them. World War Two was waged far from our shores, but its goal was the preservation of human freedom and dignity, two ideals that have remained constant and characterized America’s interests and influence since our nation’s founding.
As we remember the courage and sacrifice displayed on the ships, airfields, and docks of Pearl Harbor seventy years ago, let us quietly honor all of those who lost their lives on that fateful day, the patriots and heroes of that era in our history, and the veterans of all our nation's wars and conflicts. This great nation remains free and resilient today because of the example set by Americans from that Greatest Generation and those from successive generations who have served in harm’s way. The significance of the Pearl Harbor attack on our soil serves as a reminder that our democracy and way of life are precious gifts that must be continually protected and preserved.
