TIBERI PRAISES PASSAGE OF BILLS TO MONITOR SPENDING, EARMARKS

WASHINGTON—Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-Delaware Co.) praised passage of two bills by the House of Representatives this week that will bring more transparency to government spending and help eliminate waste.

One bill establishes a data base that anyone with a computer can access to find information about virtually any federal contract, grant, earmark or other big expenditure. The other measure requires House bills to list any earmarks they contain, and identify who is sponsoring them.

“This is great news for taxpayers,” said Tiberi. “The data base bill in particular will allow just about anyone to become a government watchdog. You can not only monitor government spending, but determine for yourself if too much--or too little--is being devoted to certain priorities or entities. The bill we passed requires the data base be up and running by 2008.

“Requiring that earmarks be identified in any legislation that comes to the House floor is also long overdue. All earmarks will now be seen in the light of day, before we act on them, and those who sponsor earmarks will have to be prepared to defend them.

“Taken together, both bills can play major roles in reducing waste and better informing the public about how Washington spends tax dollars.”