Carper Applauds House Introduction of Legislation to Crack Down on Federal Charge Card Waste and Abuse

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Carper, top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, highlighted the introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives to the Senate-approved Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2016 (S.1616). The House companion legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), top Democrat on the Oversight Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets, and cosponsored by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Congressman John Carney (D-Del.). Senator Carper introduced S.1616 in June 2015, and the bill was unanimously approved by the Senate last December.

“I thank Congresswoman Duckworth and Congressmen Cummings and Carney for their efforts to move this common sense legislation through Congress. This bipartisan legislation, unanimously approved by the Senate, takes common sense steps to crack down on charge card abuse and implement stronger controls to prevent waste in the future. We have a responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and this legislation helps ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly across the federal government. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to approve this legislation and send it to the President for his signature.”

The Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015 helps prevent charge card misuse and abuse by requiring the Government Services Administration to continuously examine charge card purchases made across the federal government. The legislation would also facilitate improved anti-fraud information sharing among federal agencies that use purchase and travel cards, in addition to requiring those agencies to share best-practices for detecting and preventing waste, fraud and abuse. In addition, the bill would encourage agencies to leverage purchasing power through strategic sourcing.