Senate Backs Online Search of Spending
Sep 12th, 2006 | by Neil Barton | Posted in politics, technology | Comments Off
Taxpayers may soon be able to track how the federal government is spending their money with the click of computer mouse.
A far-flung coalition of groups across the political spectrum supports the idea and their efforts were rewarded Thursday as the Senate passed a bill to build a Google-like search engine to allow people to track online approximately $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans.
The idea is to open up the federal budget to greater scrutiny and hopefully prevent wasteful spending. Conservatives vow greater scrutiny of”pork barrel”spending while liberals hope to foster a greater appreciation of the good things that the government does.
The bill, sponsored by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., passed after Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, dropped his objections. Senate leaders had tried to pass the bill in early August but Stevens and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., blocked passage by lodging secret”holds”on the bill.
But after a remarkable campaign by Internet bloggers to track down those responsible for the delay, Stevens and Byrd let the measure advance.
“Every American has the right to know how their government spends their money, and then to hold elected officials accountable for those decisions,”Coburn said.”Only by fostering a culture of openness, transparency and accountability will Congress come together to address the mounting fiscal challenges that threaten our future prosperity.”
