OMB Watch Launches FedSpending.org

For the first time, itemized information on the more than $12 trillion disbursed by the federal government between FY 2000 and FY 2005 is now available to the public on a user-friendly, searchable Web site. FedSpending.org, a project of OMB Watch launched Oct. 10, provides citizens with a detailed look at how the government sets national priorities and allocates federal resources.

FedSpending.org allows users to search and aggregate contract and grant information in a number of ways: by individual recipient, by agency, by congressional district and by state, and allows citizens to see exactly where their tax dollars are being spent. There is data going back to FY 2000 so that comparisons over time can be made.

With the click of a mouse, visitors to FedSpending.org can learn that:

  • The Defense Department issued the largest amount of contracts in FY 2005 ($272.9 billion or 71.5 percent of all contracts);

     

  • Florida's 14th Congressional District (represented by Rep. Connie Mack (R)) received the most federal assistance in FY 2004, driven primarily by money from flood insurance coming into his district;

     

  • Lockheed Martin, the largest contractor in FY 2005, received $24.8 billion, of which only one-third was awarded through full and open competition

With a little digging and basic knowledge of spreadsheets, the public can now discover that spending on federal contracts jumped $173 billion -- or 83 percent -- since FY 2000, pushing procurement spending to $381.9 billion. It is now the fastest growing part of discretionary spending, with nearly 40 cents of every discretionary dollar being spent on contracts with private companies.

At the same time no-bid and other noncompetitive contracts have skyrocketed 115 percent over the last five years (from $67.5 billion to $145 billion). This should raise questions about potential cronyism, and, even if no special favors are being granted, it is an open door to potential problems. This is the stuff of waste, fraud and abuse.

FedSpending.org also shows 35 percent of all contract money awarded in FY 2004 was awarded to just 20 corporations. The amount of money they received was just slightly more than the top 100 recipients of financial assistance (such as grants, loans, and insurance). See the graph below for a comparison of contractors to recipients of financial assistance. This concentration of resources in the hands of a few companies raises the need for vigilant oversight.

FedSpending.org makes available much of the information that the recently passed Federal Accountability and Transparency Act will require the Office of Management and Budget to provide to the public by Jan. 1, 2008. FedSpending.org will function not only as a tool for the public and journalists to find out about government spending, but also as a prototype against which to measure the success of OMB's endeavor.

The Oct. 10 Launch
FedSpending.org was supported with a grant from the Sunlight Foundation, which hosted an event at the National Press Club in Washington. At the same event, the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) announced several expansions of its pioneering government transparency Website, OpenSecrets.org. The first allows users to see overviews of congressional members' net worth and holdings. The second gives updated information on trips taken by members and their staffs that are financed by third parties -- in many cases special interests with business before Congress. Finally, CRP unveiled a work-in-progress database that will track the "revolving door" between positions in government and lucrative jobs at lobbying firms that members and staff often rotate through.

At the event, OMB Watch's Executive Director Gary Bass noted that "when you or I buy something at a store, we get a receipt. FedSpending.org is America's receipt for federal government spending."

More than 300 people joined the launch through a live online video stream. An archived copy of the webcast is available here. It includes presentations by the Sunlight Foundation's Ellen Miller, OMB Watch's Gary Bass, and the Center for Responsive Politics' Sheila Krumholz. Following are short demonstrations of FedSpending.org by OMB Watch's Sean Moulton and of CRP's new databases by Krumholz.

Information about FedSpending.org presented at the release event is available here. In addition, seven short videos, ranging from 2 1/2 to 9 minutes, on how to use FedSpending.org are also available in the Website's tutorial section.

FedSpending.org's design is very flexible, allowing users to get to information quickly. The navigation bar on the left hand side runs throughout the site, so that users can easily switch back and forth to get information on either grants and contracts. See the homepage below which is linked to FedSpending.org.

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