Government delivers best when its actions are fair, transparent, and accountable. Donald Trump’s approach to COVID-19 has been anything but—and we must take broad, urgent action to stop his administration’s corruption. Read my new op-ed with @JoeBiden: miamiherald.com/article2423504…
Trump seems to think he can direct funding for the response to this crisis based on which politicians are nice to him, which states he's trying to win in November, and which businesses he wants to enrich—all without any accountability.
The CARES Act imposed some oversight, but when he signed it, Trump said he’d ignore the law and prevent a new Inspector General from communicating with Congress. He then appointed a loyalist to that role and fired another IG independently designated to oversee the bailout.
As senators overseeing the executive branch and as executive officials answering to independent oversight, @JoeBiden and I know oversight is vital. As we both argued in the primary, we must end corruption and guarantee a government that works for the people.
1️⃣ Conflicts of Interest: We need strong, vigorously enforced protections. For example, both of us have long refused to own or trade individual stocks while in office. That should be required of members of Congress and government officials responsible for the recovery programs.
2️⃣ Lobbying: It's time to close loopholes and require more extensive reporting. Big corporations that apply for or accept bailout funds should not be able to engage in political spending or use their resources and political clout to lobby for bailout legislation that helps them.
3️⃣ Oversight: Inspectors General should be shielded from removal except for “good cause” and whistleblowers must be protected. The Congressional Oversight Commission needs subpoena power and authority to oversee all aspects of recovery, including the Paycheck Protection Program.
If Congress and the Trump administration are unwilling to act now, then we will ensure that these changes are made in January 2021—both through new legislation and immediate executive commitments made by the @JoeBiden administration.
.@JoeBiden will appoint an Inspector General to review every CARES Act transaction currently evading serious scrutiny. Wasteful, corrupt deals will be rooted out and undone. Suspicious transactions will be referred to the Justice Department for investigation and prosecution.
Every Trump administration official and business executive contemplating wasteful, corrupt deals and giveaways should hear us loud and clear: Donald Trump may wink and nod at this corruption, but we will not.
Real unemployment is soaring. But for many, our economy wasn’t working even before COVID-19. As we recover, we have the opportunity to create an economy that works for everyone. That begins with a government that is accountable to the people—and that is what we will deliver.
