Congressmen introduce bill to reward workers who identify waste

A bipartisan pair of Tennessee congressmen want to double the maximum reward for federal employees who identify waste at their agencies.

Employees who identify waste could get a bonus of 1% of the amount saved, up to $20,000, under a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Chattanooga Republican, and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, a Nashville Democrat.

Under the proposed legislation, agency heads would be allowed to give the bonus to employees if the chief financial officer or other designated official determines the funds are unnecessary. Office of the Inspector General employees and Senate-confirmed presidential appointees wouldn’t be eligible for the bonus.

“In the private sector, employees work hard to identify ways to save

their organization money and they are often rewarded for their diligence,” Fleischmann said in a statement about his proposal. “It doesn’t make sense that federal agencies are encouraged to spend, spend, spend instead of being rewarded for working to save taxpayer dollars and reduce our national debt. My bipartisan legislation creates a practical solution by encouraging federal agencies to take a proactive approach in working to both save taxpayer dollars and reduce our skyrocketing national debt.”

According to the Government Accountability Office, federal agencies made an estimated $175 billion in improper payments in fiscal 2019, up from $151 billion the previous year.