Austin Scott: “Absolutely, our plan, the Blue Dog plan number eight, is to justify spending for pet projects, that while we have many…”

“Absolutely, our plan, the Blue Dog plan number eight, is to justify spending for pet projects, that while we have many projects that may be worthy, it is very important that we have written justification available to the public so the public can see, and it strengthens our credibility to make sure we are spending the taxpayer's money in an efficient effective manner, justify the spending for pet projects. Number nine, ensure that Congress reads the bills it is voting on. So many times, we do not even have the time to read the bills we are voting on. How can you vote intelligently on an issue if you are not even given the time? The Blue Dogs will recommend that we at least be given a minimum of 3 days to finally look at the legislation, to make sure that we understand and have all the information for a vote. Number ten, require honest cost estimates for every bill that Congress votes on, most important. Get the right amount of money that it is going to cost. Number 11, make sure new bills fit the budget, pay-as-you-go, make sure that we are not putting in more than we have to spend. Number 12, make sure that Congress does a better job of keeping tabs on government programs. The Blue Dogs propose that each committee be required to submit a report at least twice a year, available again to the public, which is very important that we make known that we want to make sure the public is a working, participating partner in our 12 points. Mr. Speaker, those are our 12 points.…”