Today, the National Whistleblower Center rallied support from its network of supporters across the country to defend the False Claims Act from proposals made before the House Judiciary Committee to cripple the law’s protections for whistleblowers. The False Claims Act is considered the most effective tool to prevent fraud on government contractors and protect taxpayer dollars. Over 42 billion dollars has been recovered from government contract fraud through False Claims Act whistleblower cases since 1986.
The National Whistleblower Center’s Executive Director Stephen M. Kohn submitted written testimony before the committee outlining the importance of whistleblower protections as a check on unscrupulous government contractors. The testimony details how the proposals advanced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest corporate lobby in the world, would undermine the False Claims Act and make it easier to commit fraud, waste and abuse on government contracts.
Kohn issued the following statement in response to the hearing,
“This is just another instance in a long series of attempts by the Chamber to undermine the False Claims Act. The Chamber has proposed a set of solutions, such as requiring whistleblowers to report fraud at the company to the company, or limiting the amount companies can be fined for defrauding taxpayers. These solutions have been shown through overwhelming evidence to be counter effective at deterring fraud, making it easier for unscrupulous contractors to get away with massive frauds. In a time when deficit spending has continued for years and the national debt has reached its highest levels yet, the fact that our legislators are even considering these crippling reforms to the most important check against waste in government spending is absurd. The False Claims Act needs to be protected from these so-called ‘fixes.’”
Fortunately, thousands of Americans have sent spoken out, demanding the House Judiciary Committee reject the Chamber’s regressive proposals.
The False Claims Act has been one of the greatest assets of the whistleblower community since 1986. Now is the time to defend it. Put your voice on the record and demand the House Judiciary Committee protect the False Claims Act.
The hearing, “Oversight of the False Claims Act,” will be held at 4:00 pm on Thursday April 28, at the following address:
Room 2141
Rayburn House Office Building
45 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC
Links:
Blog Series: 25 Facts about the False Claims Act
Report: Saving America’s “Most Important to Uncover and Punish Fraud”