News
Aug 18 2006
Who's Blocking the Taxpayer Accountability Bill?
(CNSNews.com) - A conservative advocacy group wants to know which U.S. senators are secretly blocking a bill that would make politicians more accountable to taxpayers.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (S. 2590) directs the Office of Management and Budget to set up a website that would allow the American public to see which "entities and organizations" are being funded with tax dollars.
Introduced by Tom Coburn (R-Okl.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), S. 2590 was approved July 27 by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
However, one or more senators has put a hold on the bill and refused to allow it to come up for debate and action, the American Family Association said.
In a message to supporters, AFA said the bill was "hotlined" just before Congress recessed in August. Under a "hotline," a bill passes as long as nobody secretly objects to its passage.
But, the AFA noted, the bill did not pass before recess, which means that a secret "hold" was placed on it.
"I have no problem with matters such as security or personnel being discussed in secret, but allowing a senator to secretly hold a bill just doesn't seem the way the Senate should work," said AFA Founder and Chairman Don Wildmon.
"If a senator opposes a bill, he or she should do so publicly and explain why," he added.
The American Family Association is asking its supporters to find out if either of their senators is among those who have secretly blocked the bill.
"Send an e-mail to your two Senators telling them you want the Coburn/Obama bill unblocked and passed! No Senator should oppose this bill secretly. Let the Senator come out and say he or she is opposing it and explain why," Wildmon said.
Bipartisan sponsors of the bill include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.(, and Minority Leader Harry Reid, (D-Nev.), and possible presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
The website set up under the Senate legislation would include the amount of federal funds an entity has received in each of the last 10 fiscal years; an itemized breakdown of each transaction; the entity's location; and a unique identifier for the entity and its parent entity.
The House approved a similar measure in June, but its version of the database would include information only on grants.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (S. 2590) directs the Office of Management and Budget to set up a website that would allow the American public to see which "entities and organizations" are being funded with tax dollars.
Introduced by Tom Coburn (R-Okl.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), S. 2590 was approved July 27 by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
However, one or more senators has put a hold on the bill and refused to allow it to come up for debate and action, the American Family Association said.
In a message to supporters, AFA said the bill was "hotlined" just before Congress recessed in August. Under a "hotline," a bill passes as long as nobody secretly objects to its passage.
But, the AFA noted, the bill did not pass before recess, which means that a secret "hold" was placed on it.
"I have no problem with matters such as security or personnel being discussed in secret, but allowing a senator to secretly hold a bill just doesn't seem the way the Senate should work," said AFA Founder and Chairman Don Wildmon.
"If a senator opposes a bill, he or she should do so publicly and explain why," he added.
The American Family Association is asking its supporters to find out if either of their senators is among those who have secretly blocked the bill.
"Send an e-mail to your two Senators telling them you want the Coburn/Obama bill unblocked and passed! No Senator should oppose this bill secretly. Let the Senator come out and say he or she is opposing it and explain why," Wildmon said.
Bipartisan sponsors of the bill include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.(, and Minority Leader Harry Reid, (D-Nev.), and possible presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
The website set up under the Senate legislation would include the amount of federal funds an entity has received in each of the last 10 fiscal years; an itemized breakdown of each transaction; the entity's location; and a unique identifier for the entity and its parent entity.
The House approved a similar measure in June, but its version of the database would include information only on grants.
