Two U.S. senators want to make it easier for taxpayers to learn where the billions the federal government pays in lawsuits are going.
Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced legislation that would require the Treasury Department, which administers the Judgment Fund, to post on a public website detailed information about every claim paid by the government, unless prohibited by law or a court order. The bill, known as the Judgment Fund Transparency Act of 2015 (S. 350), has the support of Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
“I am pleased to offer this important bill, one that will increase transparency and oversight of taxpayer dollars,” Fischer said. “For far too long, billions have been awarded in lawsuits by the federal government, with almost no information available to the public regarding the nature of these lawsuits. The Judgment Fund Transparency Act will provide hard-working taxpayers and members of Congress the ability to see exactly how their tax dollars are being spent on litigation expenses. Additionally, the bill provides transparency regarding the costs of agency misconduct.”
The Judgment Fund was established in 1956 and did away with the practice of claims against the government being handled by congressional committees. In the past two years alone, the federal government has paid out more than $10 billion in Judgment Fund awards.