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Calls for more transparency for $1 trillion in other federal spending

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx released the following statement today after it was reported that the House of Representatives will begin posting individual representatives expense reports online.  The Wall Street Journal reported today that, starting August 31, American taxpayers will be able to view the quarterly reports of Representatives’ expenditures. 

“America’s taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent,” Foxx said.  “I applaud this decision to post each Representatives’ spending on the Internet.

“My hope is that other federal agencies follow suit.  After all, if Congress, not known for its 21st century ways, can account online for every cent it spends, why not the rest of the sprawling federal government?

“The rest of the federal government agencies will spend more than $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars this year.  These agencies should follow the example being set by the House and begin to publicly divulge the details of how taxpayer money is spent.  This would do much to remedy the Washington mindset that the money belongs to Washington and not the people.”
    
Note: Members of the House of Representative are currently required to file quarterly reports detailing every dollar of spending made by their Congressional offices.

The House of Representatives will spend $794.3 million to fund all House Committees and the office budgets of each of the 435 Representatives in 2009.   This amounts to less than 1/10 of 1% of the more than $1 trillion in federal government agency expenditures for 2009—spending that is not available online for taxpayer scrutiny.