Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I grew up on a family farm with modest means. As a young girl, I saw Washington, DC, as a place for men in big fancy suits and big fancy houses. While a lot has changed since that time--for one, there are a lot more women like me serving in the Senate--so much here is still the same.
You see, too many folks in Washington get their paychecks from American taxpayers but don't honor the folks who pay their salary. Instead of holding bad actors accountable, whether it is reckless spending or raunchy behavior on taxpayers' time, it gets swept under the rug.
Let me give you an example. I have a bill right now. It is called the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act. It passed committee unanimously. It is actually one of the simplest bills I have ever introduced. It literally requires the government to report on projects that are, No. 1, behind schedule and, No. 2, overbudget. It is a simple reporting requirement. Again, it passed through the committee unanimously.
The bill has the support of my Republican colleagues, but I am being stonewalled by my friends across the aisle. Folks, I cannot fathom why some Senate Democrats would oppose a reporting requirement to identify wasteful spending.
You might ask: If this bill is so simple, why does it mean so much to you? Because it matters to my fellow Iowa taxpayers. They expect Washington to use their tax dollars wisely, not throw them down bottomless sinkholes that go unnoticed. Ask any small business owner in Iowa whether the bottom line allows them to be over-budget or behind schedule. They would be out of business. They would be out of business in a heartbeat. Yet we can't even pass a bill to report on these cost overruns, much less address them. I guess it is perfectly fine for Washington to take more and more from working families and small businesses.
Folks, I think it is downright shameful that we just can't pass this simple bill. I will remind you again, it passed unanimously through committee.
While there is a heck of a lot of political posturing that goes on in the Senate, we have had moments when we have come together to rein in the ticker tape parade of Washington's excesses. For instance, we passed my SQUEAL Act, which was signed into law as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. I am proud of that effort because there is no reason Members of Congress should enjoy tax perks that don't get enjoyed by everyone else.
My bipartisan Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act was signed into law, creating more efficiency and oversight in the Federal Government.
I certainly have not stopped fighting to rein in Presidential perks.
I have also worked with colleagues who couldn't be more different from me politically, and we have actually accomplished really important things for the American people. I will name a few of those. We have fought against abuse in the Olympics. We have worked to stop prison rape. We have expanded telehealth and mental health services for our veterans. We have fought against opioids in our communities, and so much more.
Working across the aisle really does take humility. It takes honesty, and it takes a firm belief in America and her people. But we can do this. I would urge all of my colleagues to support my bill and move it through the Senate.
Living in Iowa, I am so blessed to be around the best people America has to offer. I am lucky not just to call these people farmers but also friends and neighbors. Iowans are strong. Iowans are resilient. And Iowans are brave. I have long said we need more of Iowa in Washington. I will keep fighting to make sure that happens.
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