Tom Carper

I just want you to know, Mr. O'Keeffe--forgive me for interrupting, but I just wanted you to know the room is just emptying out.

Is it true that the Sunlight Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to openness and transparency in government?

I have just been advised by my staff that on the floor of the Senate there has been a move to stop all the proceedings and hearings that are going on in the Senate, and we are compelled to stop at this point in time.

The role of government is to steer the boat, not row the boat

One of the things that I like to do...is to try to find ways to incentivize people.

Our job does not just end at making information freely available, but in making sure that the information can be effectively used.

We appreciate that our panel of witnesses could be here today.

I used to be on the Amtrak board, and I ride the train a lot.

That is your story and you are going to stick to it?

Maybe at the end of the day we will not only provide better transparency but a lot better service for less money, and that is a pretty good goal for all of us.

Great. Thanks. Mr. Kundra, the last word.

It is hard for us to police every person in government.

For the next hour or so, we are going to discuss ways that President Obama and his team of Open Government experts...

Well, good afternoon, everyone. The Subcommittee will come to order.

Is it true that in this capacity you work with the Congress, you work with agencies, and the public sector to develop smarter policies that help reform bad government practices?

It should not be a talking point anymore that agencies should be as transparent and accountable as possible.

We are interested in doing is trying to go out and collect all the money that is fraudulantly taken out of Medicare by fraudsters

The American people now have as much power in terms of knowing how their government works

My role is to work with other Senators, Representatives, and the President and Vice President to help make the rules for our country.

It will be interesting to see what happens on the floor this afternoon.

Americans want transparency in the day-to-day services that they depend on like Medicare, veterans' benefits, tax work done by the IRS.

Or in Delaware it was the Carper-Obama-Coburn bill.

OK. Good. Well, that is music to our ears.

The original intent of that legislation was to shed a little bit of sunlight on the approximately $1 trillion that Federal agencies wrote every year in contracts and grants and in loans.

The Bush White House could not locate millions of e-mails, including those from the 3 months leading up to the invasion of Iraq.