Reform the government-wide purchase card system
We need to reform the practice of using Government-Wide Purchase Cards. According to a recent GAO report, a one year examination of purchase card transactions found 41% of transactions failed to meet basic internal control standards.
One example found a bureaucrat over six years embezzling $642,000 through the Agriculture Forest Service Firefighting fund. These purchase cards have been used by government employees to purchase iPods, digital cameras, and other luxury items. The report can be found here: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08333.pdf
Today on Congress I submitted an amendment to reform the government-wide purchase card system under the Department of Defense. (Text of amendment)
Make them accountable
This sounds like a great idea to make the government and government employees more accountable.
Is there a way to put all transactions made on the government-wide purchase cards on-line or available for review to the public? Maybe if people knew that an average citizen was going to overlook the purchases they make with tax payer's hard earned money they won't stock up on iPods and things of the such.