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GSA bonuses in the crosshairs

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  • Description

    Sen. Claire McCaskill targets GSA's 'Hats Off' bonus program for employees and officials

  • Duration 7:05
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Today's hearing she -- -- workers getting paid extra money bonuses for funny ways to waste your money.

Members of congress pummeling former top TSA officials for -- employed.

Bonuses.

-- give bonuses.

We did give us we didn't give bonuses to the senior executives yes -- honest mr.

-- we did give a bonus to mr.

-- while.

The -- recommendation.

From the performance review board chaired by mr.

-- was to give him a three I asked -- -- if they had discussed in the review.

The IG report of and where was she said there was virtually no mention of it in the meeting I can't remember exact words but she says that they did not.

Consider that in their deliberations of recommending a three.

The buildings commissioner recommended a four.

He said that based on -- new -- performance.

With respect to the leasing portfolio was the strongest across the country and that fit with a four recommendation.

Senator Claire McCaskill began invest in the GSA in 2010 she wants to know which other GSA officials also receive bonuses and how much senator Claire McCaskill joins us nice to see you thank you -- -- you've been trying to get information none of this said -- -- for quite some time I -- November -- 2010.

Letter at least one out.

What's is why why are you getting this information what's taken so long well.

I think -- chair that subcommittee on contract in oversight and so I am busy all the time.

Working with inspectors general across government trying to find key contracting abuses and waste.

In that work we realized there was a contract in -- that I was aware of in Kansas City that appeared wasteful on its face.

So I began investigating is part of my committee work.

And found.

That in fact it was a ridiculous contract point three billion in public relations and advertising contracts and one that you were concerned about this letter the end and it was it was a PR contract it was wasteful and -- didn't.

As we worked on this I began to realize that speech say wasn't really giving the inspectors general any respect.

And that's really the problem and I really want to push back on what congressman -- said about this inspector general people need to realize these inspector generals are independent.

They.

They work as an independent.

Auditor in these agency -- eyes and ears of taxpayers' and this inspector general did good work here good independent work.

Who -- it takes a long time Yankee know what I he beaming me very -- here whenever.

But if you at least a few makes if you come forward you become public and have the media put heater congress but he you can move a lot -- get -- least eliminate some of the independent.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Took too long.

But he should not have gone public until the -- was completed lamented that they should and it never gotten the bonuses action whenever I would about it which is another thing that I know that then there is no -- -- tragic crazies that moves that -- makes us all angry.

But app if -- -- can speed up that give them and empower these inspector general has to move faster because of internal police officers plus.

Times -- not a -- drag their feet on the response since you've got to make a decision do I go ahead and -- this thought it without the response in the oddity.

Knowing that maybe there's a response that I need to have or do -- allow them to drag the process and I think this was a time.

Where there was a number of audits going on I think that the -- -- in this case TSA was not excited about this becoming public.

And I think they worked to delay the process the good news is the -- came out with a strong report that is gonna help us make changes in contacting.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- And I believe frankly I had I wrote back and forth -- Martha Johnson before all this broke about the Las Vegas.

A problem.

About whether or not she should have ever allow this woman who testifying from -- committee get a bonus and they put her on the committee decide bonuses.

Well what did they just ignore your question is so that you can't anything in India not -- -- -- -- if you sick I need that 24 hours and they just don't do it.

There really isn't any recourse short of beginning a process of trying to pull their funding.

A short of a process of having a press conference an embarrassing them.

So what you do if you do your best and we've been very aggressive on the subcommittee on contract thing in fact.

One of the things is frustrated today when there was the circus a literally with the clowns down in the in the house we're holding a hearing on contract -- abuses in the Defense Department.

That reached sixteen billion dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan I know him that medicine is sort of -- we focus on this one because we get our hands on right let me and and and we don't we hear all these proms are we don't have enough money and there's there's fights about cutting firefighters and police officers and whether to raise taxes not yet we get these.

Billions and billions of dollars in in contract fraud and that it's -- and it's extraordinary it is extraordinary and we hollowed out.

The acquisition force we didn't get enough support to our government auditors.

And we paid a price for now we're reversing -- by working very hard.

-- getting contract procedures in place.

That will provide much more strict guidance to Defense Department State Department.

AI DN Homeland Security we get that money back those who defrauded we tried we tried to claw that's the problem is.

They let the contractors write the contracts the way they scoping Monday Tuesday would have been the Defense Department back in the early days.

I would write something like that what what a look at what kind of pursue -- contract where some of the fraud to your your event that's tough well that -- this is an out -- out fraud yet and you understand the difference obviously between fraud waste and abuse some of this is like giving them a cost plus contracts so they can go MoneyGram hand house to drive up how much we paid that book we did you -- Brent contract -- -- They the government didn't -- a contractor did well -- -- Reconnaissance in the -- -- to guard the chicken coop that's why isn't a lot contingency contract think what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan on contract thing.

Is shameful.

If you look at the war profiteering is gone and now we're trying to get the Defense Department and the State Department and USA ID to get their act like I contract got an idea of right a lot and that -- -- personal injury lawyers get a percentage in going after any money and the personally dealers are well recover so we have money I mean not a bad time not a bad idea against -- really fast anyway.

Senate thank you -- you've got good luck thank you very much.

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