Issue Position: Appropriations

Issue Position

Issue Position: Appropriations

Each year, Congress must pass twelve appropriations bills that fund the activities of the federal government. Hundreds of Iowans come to Senator Grassley and request funding for their local or regional initiatives. Grassley has supported many projects because of the contribution they make to the economic development and infrastructure needs of Iowa communities. However, Congress must be held accountable for the responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Since Iowans first hired Grassley to represent them in Washington , he has worked for responsible government spending.

Grassley has supported efforts to improve transparency in the legislative process. Last year, Congress passed the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act to make reforms to lobbying and the practice of earmarks. The law now requires earmarks be posted on the internet at least 48 hours before the legislation comes up for a vote, including the recipient and Senate sponsor. Each Senator must also submit a written statement that details the project and that certifies that no personal financial benefit is to be gained. Grassley has gone one step further by disclosing on his website all requests from Iowans and the Iowa projects that ultimately received funding.

Last year, hundreds of Iowans came to Grassley with proposals for their organization or community. He forwarded project requests that were on time and contained the appropriate information to the Senate Appropriations Committee. It is then the responsibility of the Appropriations Committee to review the requests and determine the allocation of funds.

In November, the President signed into law the Department of Defense spending bill.

On December 19, 2007, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. This spending bill included 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills.

Source