Issue Position: Government Accountability

Issue Position

"Families and businesses are really struggling, and they deserve to know that their elected leaders are working to make things better both now and in the future. We need to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly to help our country get back on its feet."

-- Senator Patty Murray

Working to ensure that we are passing regulations and reforms to ensure that the misdeeds of Wall Street and lack of oversight that helped lead to our current economic downturn never happens again, Senator Murray is fighting to ensure government is accountable to American families and businesses.

* As Chairman of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Senator Murray has held hearings into the implementation and disbursement of transportation funding through the Economic Recovery Act and supports hearings and investigations into the root causes of the economic crisis.

* Senator Murray is working to ensure financial markets are properly regulated to prevent market manipulation and encourage stability and investment.

* Senator Murray helped pass the Credit Card Holders' Bill of Rights that puts families first and puts fairness and common sense back into credit card lending.

* Senator Murray joined Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) in introducing the Student Loan Abuse Prevention (SLAP) Act to close a loophole in the federal student loan program that according to Education Department data has cost taxpayers billions over the past decade.

* Senator Murray helped pass housing legislation in 2008 to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, jumpstart the housing market, and modernize the Federal Housing Administration. She also led the fight to provide over $200 million in federal funding for home counseling programs to help families avoid foreclosure.

* Senator Murray joined nine other Senators to send a letter warning AIG executives to either forego executive bonuses or prepare for Congress to heavily tax the payments to little value.

* Senator Murray helped pass the Defense Acquisitions Reform Act to help trim excessive spending from our Defense budget.

* Senator Murray led the fight in Congress when the Air Force unfairly awarded the contract to build the military's next generation of aerial refueling tankers to Airbus, an illegally-subsidized foreign company over Boeing.

* Senator Murray grilled Department of Defense representatives both in public and private meetings. The Government Accountability Office upheld many of Boeing's points of protest finding that changes were made during the competition to keep the foreign competitor at the table. Senator Murray has continually pushed for a fair and transparent new competition.

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