[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 121 (Thursday, July 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S4241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PROTECTING AMERICAN TAXPAYERS ACT

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, Iowans are fed up with their taxpayers' 
dollars being lost every year to waste, fraud, and abuse. As a watchdog 
for those taxpayers, I have helped lead the charge to stop brazen 
criminals from stealing Americans' hard-earned dollars.
  So that is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of my colleague from Iowa 
Senator Ernst's bill. That bill is entitled the ``Protecting American 
Taxpayers Act.'' I thank Senator Ernst so much for her hard work 
putting this piece of legislation together, and I also thank her for 
her hard work chairing the Small Business Committee of the Senate.
  Now to the purpose of this legislation: According to the Government 
Accountability Office--GAO for short--the Federal Government loses 
annually anywhere between $233 billion to $521 billion to fraud. This 
comprehensive legislation cracks down on the fraudsters, protects the 
taxpayers' dollars, and curbs wasteful spending.
  The bill includes 16 bipartisan initiatives. And I think when you 
talk about 16 bipartisan initiatives, that ought to tell some of our 
constituents that think Republicans never talk to Democrats and vice 
versa that that is the wrong information permeating our great country.
  So the 16 bipartisan initiatives, 1 of them is my bill that I 
entitled ``Expanding Whistleblower Protection for Contractors Act,'' 
which then expands whistleblower protections for government contractors 
and grantees--just like we give whistleblower protection to people that 
are employees of the Federal Government.
  It is obvious we need all eyes and ears within the Federal 
bureaucracy to stay wide open and remove the muzzle that Federal 
Agencies use to intimidate patriotic whistleblowers from reporting 
wrongdoing.
  The bill that I am sponsoring--1 of these 16 bipartisan initiatives--
is in there to solve that problem. The U.S. Treasury is not a piggy 
bank for fraudsters to exploit and drain public assistance programs for 
their own profit. This anti-fraud package will stop fraud and return 
money to the taxpayers.
  Thanks again to Senator Ernst.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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