Sanford Introduces Bill To Make Federal Pay More Transparent

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representative Mark Sanford introduced the Federal Employee Bonus Disclosure Act, which would make all federal government employee bonuses publicly available and would require reports to Congress on any performance-based bonuses over $10,000.  

Rep. Sanford said, “As a taxpayer, I like to know what I’m paying for, and that’s a sentiment that I often hear from people at home. Accordingly, it’s bothersome and frustrating that federal performance bonuses are undisclosed. Indeed, in fiscal year 2016, less than 25 percent of the $1.5 billion in bonuses were made public, equating to a $1.1 billion tab for one million performance bonuses. In some cases, the payments being withheld are egregious, like, for example, $1.7 million in bonuses to IRS employees despite their record of serious misconduct.

“With oversight as one of Congress’s main roles, simply observing a problem is not enough,” continued Rep. Sanford. “We have to do something for oversight to mean anything, and making this area of federal spending more transparent is the first step in bringing better accountability to how taxpayer dollars are used.”

Adam Andrzejewski, CEO and founder of OpenTheBooks.com, a public database of government spending, said, “Shining a light on federal performance bonuses is the next phase of the transparency revolution. I applaud Representative Sanford for his bold leadership in introducing legislation to make that possible. It takes guts to reveal what many want hidden. We’re honored to stand with him.”

 

Federal Employee Bonus Disclosure Act.pdf