Revenue & Spending
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Spending Transparency Systems
May 15, 2012
As leaders of both parties in Congress obsess over cutting spending, it's no surprise that spending transparency has become an issue. Most recently, the House passed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), a bill designed to increase the quantity, quality, and accessibility of federal spending information. The bill would be a leap forward in government openness, but it is only a beginning. A comprehensive system of federal spending transparency that enables citizens to hold government accountable must include a set of key elements, which we explore in this article.
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Student Loan Interest Fight Highlights Competing Values
May 1, 2012
According to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States, Americans believe access to a quality education is the most important way the government can help people get ahead. Next year, reaching that goal could become more difficult. With the federal student loan interest rate set to double to 6.8 percent, college could become much more expensive for millions of students. Both parties in Congress have said they want to keep the lower rate, but they are far apart on how to find the $6 billion annually to pay for the loan subsidies.
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DATA Act Passes House, Moves on to Senate
Apr 25, 2012 by Gavin Baker
Today, the House passed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or DATA Act (H.R. 2146), by a voice vote with strong bipartisan support. The bill to strengthen the transparency of federal government spending was sponsored by Oversight and Government Reform committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and 13 other representatives.
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OMB Watch Applauds House Passage of DATA Act
Apr 25, 2012
WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012—OMB Watch today applauded the House passage of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or DATA Act (H.R. 2146). The bill to strengthen the transparency of federal government spending was approved by a voice vote with strong bipartisan support.
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DATA Act Comes to House Floor
Apr 24, 2012 by Sam Rosen-Amy
During this period of political gridlock, it's rare to find a bipartisan legislative initiative that we can enthusiastically support. But tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote on just such a bill, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act). The DATA Act would greatly enhance federal spending transparency, bringing new datasets online and helping standardize reporting across the government.
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Cutting Costs and Courting Contamination: What Food Safety Budget Cuts Mean for Public Safety
Apr 17, 2012
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the federal regulator of meat, poultry, and egg products, faces resource limitations that make it more difficult for the agency to ensure the safety of the food supply. New plans to cut costs could have severe consequences for public health and safety.
read in fullBuffett Rule Targets Capital Gains
Apr 17, 2012
On April 16, the Senate voted on a bill that would have enshrined the “Buffett Rule” in the tax code, which would have ensured that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share of taxes. With the bill’s defeat, Congress should consider other options to increase tax fairness.
GAO Reports Defense Department Barely Moving toward a Comprehensive Service Contracts Database
Apr 17, 2012
Earlier in April, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the second in a series of new, congressionally mandated reports assessing the Department of Defense’s (DOD) efforts to compile an inventory of service contracts. Congress intends for the Pentagon to include these reviews in its yearly budget work and expects “inherently governmental work” currently performed by private contractors to be brought back “in-house.” This review process will help the Pentagon find ways to reduce costs and limit the over-reliance on contractors.
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New CAP Papers Offer Contracting Reform Recommendations
Apr 4, 2012 by Gary Therkildsen*
The Center for American Progress (CAP) has released a series of three new papers on how the federal government can improve contracting through selective insourcing, better auditing, and increased transparency. Each paper contains specific recommendations that would help improve how Uncle Sam doles out contracting dollars and the return Americans could see on that spending.
read in fullCongressional Progressive Caucus and Ryan Revenue Proposals: Two Sides of the Budget Coin
Apr 3, 2012
The fiscal year (FY) 2013 budgets proposed by the House Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chair of the House Budget Committee, are perfect examples of the fact that budgets are about choices. The revenue proposals in each serve as a study of opposites. Where the Ryan budget would double down on the Bush tax cuts and provide huge windfalls to the country’s wealthiest, the CPC’s proposal – The Budget for All – would ask those with the most wealth to help fund important investments in our public structures.
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