Senate Passes Bill to Create Internet Database of Federal Spending

Senate Passes Bill To Create Internet Database Of Federal Spending
Cornyn a Cosponsor of Bipartisan Legislation to Create More Transparency in Government

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and strong advocate of open government, made the following statement Friday regarding unanimous Senate passage of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590). Sen. Cornyn is a cosponsor of the legislation, which passed unanimously on Thursday evening. The bill's main sponsors are Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

"I've long worked to increase the public's access to government information. We've made progress this past year to improve the Freedom of Information Act. But we also need to recognize that we can - and should - do more to preserve the open-government principles on which our great country was founded.

"This bill will bring light to the sometimes-murky Congressional appropriations process. It's an important step forward. If Congress is serious about making government more transparent, Congress should start by opening its own processes. This important legislation moves us further along that path.

"Open government is one of the most basic requirements of a healthy democracy. The default position of our government must be one of openness. If records can be open, they should be open. If good reason exists to keep something closed, it is the government that should bear the burden to prove that need—not the other way around."

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act will create a Google-like search engine and database to track approximately $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans. The bill has forty-three Senate co-sponsors. It has been endorsed more than 100 organizations across the political spectrum as well as newspaper editorial boards across the country.

Sen. Cornyn was in Austin on Friday to deliver the opening address at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas' annual conference. He highlighted his ongoing efforts to increase public access to government information. He is the co-author of three bipartisan bills to expand open government.

Last June, the Senate passed legislation introduced by Sens. Cornyn and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to create additional legislative transparency by requiring that any future legislation containing exemptions to requirements be "stated explicitly within the text of the bill."

In addition, Sens. Cornyn and Leahy introduced the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2005 (OPEN Government Act, S. 394), and later a separate bill to establish an advisory Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing Delays. Cornyn also co-chaired a hearing to examine the OPEN Government Act, and continues to urge Congress to pass that law as quickly as possible.

Cornyn was presented with the James Madison Award in 2001 for his efforts as Texas Attorney General to promote open government by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.

http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=record&lid=1&yid=1&rid=237236&pg=1