Claire McCaskill: Washington Needs some Show-Me Common Sense

by US Senator Claire McCaskill

One of the most important parts of my job is visiting with and hearing from Missourians across the state. That's why I love coming home to Missouri every weekend, and it's why I enjoyed a recent opportunity to spend an entire week traveling throughout the state listening to your input and ideas at town hall forums and meetings with local groups. Everywhere I went I heard from people who are frustrated with Washington and want to see Congress play by the same rules as everyone else. Some Show-Me State common sense would go a long way in Washington. We started the year off with a big victory by stopping the worst abuses of secret holds when the Senate passed a resolution that cracks down on a senator's ability to anonymously block legislation and nominations. I had been pushing for this legislation for months because the public deserves to know who is blocking the Senate from doing the people's business. But we can't stop there. I've introduced a package of additional congressional reforms that will bring new accountability to Congress while forcing members to do their part to begin addressing the budget crisis. This package focuses on doing what's right, rather than maintaining the status quo. Americans have to live within their means and when there is a budget crunch, they feel the pain. Members of Congress have been too immune to these realities in recent years. As the country's budget has spun out of control, federal law continued to give members of Congress an annual pay raise. This has to end immediately, so I introduced legislation to end the automatic Congressional pay raise. But I am also trying to do more by returning 10 percent of my office budget each year. Over the past four years, I have returned approximately $1.6 million dollars total. In order to bring new accountability to Congress, I also proposed a bill that would establish some common sense rules for government-paid foreign travel so we can be sure that members of Congress aren't abusing the system. It's time to crack down and make public the details of Congressional foreign travel. To add a new layer of accountability to Congress, I have also introduced legislation to create an independent watchdog to investigate, audit, and review Senate operations. The role of Senate Inspector General would be to help identify waste and inefficiencies in the Senate. As a former auditor, I believe that keeping track of how the government is spending money should be our first obligation to the taxpayers, and an Inspector General will help us do that. I'm already looking forward to my next round of town hall meetings and having the opportunity to hear more from you about reforms you want to see in Washington. The best ideas come from real people, and I hope to hear from all of you soon.