Frank Lautenberg: “I am proud to support S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. This important legislation…”

“I am proud to support S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. This important legislation requires the Office of Management and Budget to create an online searchable Web site to allow Americans to understand who is getting Federal money. This legislation has broad support from across the political spectrum. Whether we believe we spend too much or we should be doing more to help people in need, we can all agree that we ought to get value from the dollars we spend. Transparency is the first step in that process. I believe that S. 2590 is only the first step. I am excited that Senators Coburn and Obama have endorsed the concept of creating a similar database for targeted tax benefits that go to companies or industries who are adept enough at Washington politics to get them enacted. Like the spending to be disclosed in S. 2590, many targeted tax breaks are good policy. But the American people deserve to know who is paying less in taxes and causing them to pay more. They have a right to know who is getting benefits from Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues to have a bill, hold hearings, bring the bill to the floor, and make information on tax benefits public and easily accessible.”