THIS week the stroke of President Bush's pen authorized creation of a Web-based searchable database for federal spending, which we think will be invaluable to everyday Americans wanting to know more about how their tax dollars are being used.

The legislation written by Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama will allow Web users to search records for billions of dollars in federal contracts and grants. Regular Americans will be able to know how Washington is dispensing their money.

In time it might help change the culture of spending in the nation's capital. It's one thing for lawmakers to ladle out a million here, a million there — camouflaged in the appropriations labyrinth and by subsequent layers of bureaucracy. It's another thing if constituents can conduct a Web search and see who's benefiting from the decisions made in the halls of Congress.

Coburn and Obama called the new database a "significant tool that will make it much easier to hold elected officials accountable." It will if people use it. We expect bloggers, reporters and government watchdog types will avail themselves of it. But other individuals should do so as well.

The Office of Management and Budget says the information already exists but will need to be collected and assembled into a consistent format. We can only imagine the task, with the federal government issuing more than $400 billion in grants and $300 billion in contracts each year to businesses, associations and state and local governments.

When up and running, the database will be an important tool for Americans of all political persuasions, as they monitor their government. Sunshine and accountability are wonderful things in the hands of voters. Makes you wonder if the same approach would work in the realm of campaign contributions. Stay tuned.