Watchdog Groups Urge Senators to Oppose Budget Secrecy

November 16, 2007

Contact: Gabriela Schneider 202-742-1520 ext 236

Washington, D.C. – Twelve non profit organizations concerned with oversight and transparency in government sent a letter to members of the United States Senate urging them to oppose an eleventh-hour secrecy provision added to the Conference Report on the FY 2008 Transportation-HUD Appropriations bill. The provision, cited as Section 193 in the bill, would severely limit the ability of congressional authorizing and budget committees to provide proper oversight in the federal budgeting process. The House already approved the conference committee version yesterday, and the Senate is set to vote on the legislation by the end of the week.

The provision, if passed, will have multiple implications – among them, curtailing the ability of lawmakers to restrain earmarks and their ability to abide by the Congressional Budget Act. It would deny congressional committees and potentially public access to the fiscal year budget justifications for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and numerous independent agencies until after May 31st of each year. The House and Senate transportation appropriations committees would be the only committees allowed to view the budget justifications prior to that date.

In addition to the Project On Government, other groups signing the letter include National Legal and Policy Center; Government Accountability Project; Citizens Against Government Waste; Sunlight Foundation; OpentheGovernment.org; Citizens for Responsibity and Ethics in Washington; Americans for Prosperity Foundation; National Taxpayers Union; National Freedom of Information Coalition; American Association of Law Libraries; and Freedom of Information Oklahoma.

The Sunlight Foundation supports, develops and deploys new Internet technologies to make information about Congress and the federal government more accessible to the American people. Through its projects and grant-making, Sunlight serves as a catalyst to create greater political transparency and to foster more openness and accountability in government.

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