Washington-- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today co-sponsored a bill designed to root out wasteful pork barrel spending by allowing citizens to see how the government spends taxpayer money via a searchable online database. The legislation, introduced by Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Barack Obama (D-IL), seeks to help Americans better understand how their tax dollars are spent and reduce fraud, abuse and irresponsible spending of federal funds by creating a Google-like search engine of all federal spending.

"Spending in Washington is out of control, with more and more of the federal budget being diverted to irresponsible pork barrel projects," Senator Bayh said "American taxpayers have a right to know how the government is spending their money, and as legislators we have a responsibility to make that information as accessible as possible. By creating a single web site with access to federal spending information, we can empower citizens to hold their government accountable."

Currently, taxpayers have no way of finding what the government is paying individuals, contractors, nonprofits and other groups. Under this legislation, the Office of Management and Budget would create a single online database that would include the name of each entity receiving federal funding in the past 10 fiscal years, an itemized breakdown of each transaction, the recipient's location and other identifying information. The database would be accessible by the pubic at no cost and searchable via keywords. For example, a search for the terms "Alaska" and "bridges" would expose the infamous $223 million Bridge to Nowhere project, which Bayh voted against.

Many of these wasteful federal spending projects are so-called earmarks, which are not subject to individual votes. The practice allows politicians to slip in funding for projects that otherwise might not receive support, and has been under scrutiny recently for the role such earmarks have played in the ongoing lobbyist scandal. This database would require a greater public accounting of federal expenditures, including earmarks, which would help rein in federal spending overall.

Nearly 100 groups have endorsed the bill, including AFSCME, the Culture of Life Foundation, Greenpeace, Gun Owners of America, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Traditional Values coalition.

Senator Bayh has been a long-time leader in the Senate to restore fiscal responsibility and reduce the budget deficit. In January, Bayh co-sponsored a bill designed to reduce the number of pork barrel projects added to the federal budget by requiring greater transparency in the federal budget process.

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