Grassley protects American taxpayersSen. Charles Grassley is an important voice in Washington on many issues of major significance to the future of the nation. While that may be the most significant aspect of his service, he also is a tireless opponent of wasteful and fraudulent government expenditures.

The Iowa Republican has never forgotten his roots on an Iowa farm. He understands that much of the money federal agencies spend is an aggregation of the tax dollars paid by average Americans of modest means. Grassley understands that people work hard to earn that money and have a right to expect it will be spent honestly with wisdom and frugality.

That’s why Grassley and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have teamed up to introduce bipartisan legislation to “improve IRS communication with tax fraud whistleblowers and protect those whistleblowers from workplace retaliation.”

“Whistleblowers have helped the IRS recover more than $3 billion for the taxpayers that otherwise would have been lost to fraud,” Grassley said in a statement explaining the proposed statutory provisions. “Whistleblowers have the potential to help even more. They need assurances that putting their jobs at risk carries protections. They also need better communication about where their cases stand so they’re not sitting in limbo. This bill will offer a welcome mat to those who are too often treated like skunks at a picnic.”

According the statement just released by Grassley’s office, the IRS Whistleblower Improvements Act of 2017 is based on the Grassley-Wyden amendment included in the Taxpayer Protection Act of 2016. The Taxpayer Protection Act, along with the Grassley-Wyden amendment, passed the Finance Committee in April 2016 but was never considered by the full Senate.

Grassley’s commentary regarding this worthy effort said the goal of the measure is both to enhance communication between the IRS and whistleblowers and afford legal protections to these individuals regarding attempts by employers to retaliate against them for disclosing tax abuses.

The Messenger salutes Grassley’s unrelenting dedication to honesty and frugality. Many Americans are cynical about politicians and distrustful of their motives. Iowa’s senior U.S. senator helps counter this disillusionment by the example he sets of outstanding public service. In working across the aisle with Wyden, he also reminds us that good government requires collaboration and cooperation in the public interest. Unfortunately, too few federal officeholders seem to be committed to that approach.