“I believe the best form of government is an open and honest government, a government that serves its people and not a special interest. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously stated, ‘sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.'"

-Mike Quigley

We are committed to providing an open and transparent process. In addition to Rep. Quigley's legislative initiatives for reform, please see how else we are working for you:

Check out all the day's transparency news by clicking here:

Bipartisan Transparency Caucus

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Quigley has helped create a Bi-Partisan Transparency Caucus which will serve as a resource for Members of Congress on bipartisan open government initiatives. The caucus will promote legislation that requires federal information to be freely accessible, as well as advocate for new initiatives that support transparency.

• To read the "Dear Colleague" letter to members of the Congress, click HERE.

• To read the Principles of the Congressional Transparency Caucus, click HERE.

• To see video of Mike's remarks at the Tranpsparency Cacus launch, cleck HERE.

Reform Legislation

In addition to asking the tough questions from his seat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and consistently voting and speaking out for key reform measures (such as the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act and opposing additional funding for the F-22), Cong. Quigley has introduced legislation of his own to reduce government waste and ensure an accountable process:

Transparency in Government Act H.R. 4983- a bill that would bring about unprecendented access and accountability to the federal government including new lobbying restrictions, creating the first searchable and sortable earmark database, and increased oversight on reporting federal contracts. To see a one-page overview of the bill, click here . For a section-by-section explanation of the bill, click here.

Landmark Earmark Reform H. Res 614- a bill to prohibit earmarks for private entities

Strengthening Anti-Pay-to-Play Laws HR 3427- a bill that would help protect and strengthen state pay-to-play laws that get watered down when their federal funding appears to be in jeopardy

Reinventing Government

Mike continued his theme of reinventing government, which began with a series of reports while he was on the Cook County Board, by releasing Part One of a report titled "Reinventing Government: The Federal Budget." It outlines steps needed to reform the federal budget with a renewed focus on improved budgeting and long-term sustainability. Part One includes 15 recommendations for a more complete and accurate budget to create a clear picture of our fiscal situation - stay tuned for more.

Spending

View a list of Mike's FY2011 project requests (for non-profit and public entities only) here and for FY 2010 click here. You can also find a list of the requests funded by the 2010 "Minibus" Appropriations Bill here.

Click here to view Congressman Mike Quigley project submissions for the Water Resources Development Act 2010 to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Water Resources Development Act funds local studies and projects that boost environmental protection, restoration, and much more.

Click here to view the Statement of Disbursement (SOD) for the entire House of Representatives for the third quarter of 2009, inluding the 5th District. In an effort to make the House of Representatives as transparent and accountable as possible, you can see an itemized list of every official expenditure for Mike's District and D.C. offices.

House Live

Watch live streaming video of the House floor, as well as search for video and transcripts of previous sessions, inaugurations and addresses to joint sessions of Congress.

Votes

View a list of bill sponsorships and see how Mike voted on important issues.

Transparency Tour

A tour of local projects that received recovery funding, to ensure that taxpayer dollars were being spent efficiently and effectively.

Calendar

See what Mike is working on each day and what else is happening in the 5th District.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Look up projects on Recovery.gov and learn about efforts by the Inspector General and others to ensure a transparent process. Their new Web site tool allows residents of the 5th District (and citizens across the country) to search American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) spending (stimulus dollars) by zip code. By searching for projects in your community, you can see how the 5th district is benefitting from these investments and can also report fraud, waste, or abuse.