From exposing bribery in Army National guard recruiting, to calling out Dr. Oz for bogus, fad diets, Senator Claire McCaskill has had a busy year.
The Missouri Democrat listed her 14 “greatest hits” for 2014 in a news release.
1. Was once again ranked exactly in the moderate middle of the U.S. Senate, ranking #50 out of 100 by the nonpartisan news magazine National Journal in its annual rankings of members of Congress from liberal-to-conservative
2. Successfully passed into law a comprehensive plan fixing the Pentagon’s troubled program to recover American personnel who are prisoners of war and missing in action, establishing a single agency with one federal official in charge—following her previous year’s investigation into systemic problems with POW-MIA recovery efforts
3. Led an investigation and chaired two Senate hearings revealing one of the biggest fraud investigations in U.S. Army history—including up to $100 million in waste—identifying pervasive fraud and waste in the Army National Guard’s Recruiting Assistance Program, which paid National Guard members, retirees, and civilians to recruit friends and family, but had virtually no safeguards or controls, and ultimately led to indictments against five current and former Army National Guard officials on charges of bribery
4. Launched an investigation into weight-loss diet scams harming American consumers—collecting tips and stories from Missourians about their personal experiences with such deceptive practices, and ultimately leading a Senate hearing to question popular TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz on his frequent claims about “miracle” products, explore options for regulators and industry to crack down on the scams, and urge media outlets to strengthen screening of false advertising
5. Led the effort in Congress to address sexual assault on college and university campuses—meeting directly with federal experts, launching an unprecedented national survey of colleges and universities, hosting a series of public Senate roundtable discussions with stakeholders from across the country, crafting and introducing bipartisan legislation to boost safety on campuses, and hearing directly from nearly 50 Missouri colleges and universities on a tour across the state to gather feedback and build support for needed changes
6. Led a successful effort to retain two federal weather centers in Kansas City, and the jobs they support
7. Won passage into law of additional measures further strengthening already historic reforms to curb sexual assaults in the U.S. military—after leading the successful effort in 2013 to overhaul how the military handles such crimes, better protecting and empowering survivors, boosting prosecutions of predators, and holding military commanders accountable
8. Used Senate Consumer Protection panel to lead the investigations and chair several Senate hearings holding General Motors and safety regulators to account for its recalls of nearly 2.6 million vehicles for defective ignition switches that were linked to at least 13 deaths, including a fatality in Missouri—and ultimately introducing legislation aimed at keeping American travelers safe on the road and holding accountable companies who ignore or violate safety laws
9. Traveled to every corner of Missouri on the “McCaskill on Main Street” tour, to public town halls, meetings with local leaders, and events, all focused on policies to boost job and business opportunities
10. Teamed up with Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma to introduce the Let Me Google That For You Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill to eliminate an outdated federal agency that has lost more than $1 million trying to sell government reports that are available for free online—and later led a Senate hearing shining a spotlight on the agency
11. Continued longstanding support for construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, citing potential for job opportunities and stronger energy security, voting to approve the project and calling on the President to implement a specific timeline for its construction
12. As Chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection panel, crafted a measure aimed at bringing transparency and fairness to cable, satellite, and other pay-TV billing practices—starting by soliciting personal stories and tips from Missouri consumers
13. Following the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., helped secure a commitment from the U.S. Justice Department for an independent investigation, led a Senate hearing examining a lack of coordination and oversight in programs supporting local law enforcement, and began crafting legislation aimed in part at expanding the use of body cameras by law enforcement to protect both police officers and civilians
14. Secured long-overdue Purple Heart awards for St. Peters, Mo. Vietnam veteran Patrick Howe—and for St. Louis Korean War veteran Reverend Leo Hardin.