Senators introduce earmark database bill
Proposal answers State of the Union request for a single website listing prospective directed spending so taxpayers can follow the money.
A bipartisan group of four senators introduced legislation Tuesday that would create an online database that would allow citizens to sort, search and download information on earmarks.
"The American people should not have to obtain search warrants to understand how Congress is spending their money," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a sponsor of the measure.
The legislation comes after President Obama in his State of the Union address called on Congress to "publish all earmark requests on a single Web site before there's a vote, so that the American people can see how their money is being spent."
The database would include all relevant information, including the amount of initial request, amount approved by the committee, amount approved in final legislation, sponsor name, sponsor state or district, project name, and other pertinent facts, according to a summary of the proposal.
Other sponsors include Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and John McCain, R-Ariz.